Proudly voted Promotional Merchandise Distributor of the Year, December 2024 (Sourcing City Awards).

Promotional Items for the Car

Since the first automobile was invented in 1886, cars have become a key aspect of our everyday lives, so why not give away promotional items to celebrate this fact?

Although several engineers were working on creating the first automobile at the same time, it is acknowledged that Karl Benz is the creator of the first modern vehicle. Benz was granted a patent in 1879 for his first engine and his first motor vehicle was built in 1885. Benz was later awarded a patent for his invention in 1886 and started to sell his vehicles commercially. At such a high price, he only sold 25 vehicles between 1888 and 1893.

By definition, an automobile is a wheeled vehicle powered by a motor. Whilst the first patent was issued in 1886, the vehicle we know today was not created in a single day, or even by a single person. There were approximately 100,000 patents created to reach the modern vehicle we know today. This included many inventors, new features and developments in the machinery. 

Whilst Henry Ford is credited with creating the first mass production car, many people forget that it was in fact Karl Benz who originally patented the idea of the vehicle. Prior to this, in the 1700's, engineers started to work on motor powered vehicles, using steam, combustion and motors to attempt to move the car. The battery powered car was very popular at one stage, although at the time, it did not allow the car to travel far enough as the batteries weren't powerful enough. 

At the beginning of the 1900's, the automobile was only considered to be transport for the rich. However, over the years it has become increasingly more affordable for the general population. The car is very popular as it gives a sense of freedom which cannot be given through public transport. 

Popularity of cars has moved with the state of the economy. Once cars started to be mass produced, it created a lot of jobs meaning that people were more likely to be able to afford to purchase a vehicle. However, as the economy starts to dip, less people purchase cars meaning that there is the potential for job losses within factories. 

The automobile changed society forever, allowing people living in the country to work in cities and vice versa, if you want to give away promotional travel items which are relevant to history, consider items for cars. 

Written by

Total Merchandise | Editoral Team

Our editorial team is drawn from a pool of experienced promotional merchandise product team members, account managers, marketers and other contributors. With such a wide range of skills and experience, they write about many aspects of promotional merchandise, wider marketing and business matters, as well as company news updates.

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