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The 'Duryea brothers', Charles (1861- 1938) and
Frank Duryea (1869-1967), were the first to build an automobile in the U.S. After Charles saw a gasoline engine at the 1886 Ohio State Fair, the brothers began designing and building a car. On September 20, 1893, in the streets of Springfield, they completed the first successful run of an automobile in the U.S. Charles Duryea founded the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1896, the first company to manufacture and sell gasoline powered vehicles. By 1896, the company had sold thirteen cars of the model Duryea, an expensive limousine, which remained in production into the 1920s.

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Fame

Fame

Neither of the brothers got much credit for having made the first automobile in the U.S. Charles Duryea was inducted to the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1973 and Frank Duryea was inducted in 1996. Charles invited Frank to work on the project in 1892, 3 years after Charles did much work. That is why Charles was inducted first, it was his initiative.