Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot invented the world’s first self-propelled vehicle, and as a result, he holds the distinction as the world’s first automotive engineer. His Fardier, a wheeled cart, was a groundbreaking engineering achievement that ran on steam power. When the steam rose to a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure, a piston was driven into a cylinder. He also invented a rotary valve that was activated by the piston to let the steam in and out of the machine’s two cylinders.
In a historic demonstration in France in November 1770, Cugnot's Fardier showcased its impressive capabilities by traveling 4.8 kilometers in an hour while pulling a five-ton artillery cannon. Unfortunately, the Fardier faced practical issues and limited acceptance during its time and was never produced on a wider scale.
Since 1800, the original 1770 Fardier de Cugnot has been housed in the Arts et Métiers Museum in Paris, France. Our Fardier is not only a faithful reproduction of the original, but also completely functional. Over the course of several years, this tribute to Cugnot was created from the ground up by The Tampa Bay Auto Museum Restoration Team and engineers from Polypack, Inc. Completed in 2010 and with a new lease on life, this is the first time that Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot’s Fardier has displayed its capabilities in over 200 years!
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