Exactly 118 years ago, on July 30 – 1898, was reported the first automotive advertising in the world. It appeared on pages of american magazine – Scientific American and presented a car at Winton Motor Carriage Company.

The company is a pioneer in automobile production in the United States. Headquartered in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and is one of the first American companies that sell motor vehicles. Predictably, the ad is black and white, and it was like this:

“Get rid of HORSES and save costs, care and anxiety for the horse. Driving motor vehicle costs about half a cent per mile. Motor chariot of Winton is the best vehicle of its kind ever made. Designed to be gorgeous, strong, yet with a simple and elegant finish. Easily sustainable. Speed of 3 to 20 miles per hour (4.8 to 32 km/h). The combustion engine is simple and powerful. Odorless, without vibration. Wheel damping wire. Pneumatic tires. Ball bearings ”

first car advertisment

The advertising works. On March 24, 1898, Robert Allison Pennsylvania becomes the first man who bought a car from Winton Motor Carriage Company, after seeing the ad in Scientific American. Later that year the car company manages to sell a further 21 more vehicles, including a James Ward Packard, who later founded the Packard Automobile Company.

Today first advertised car is in the Museum of American History in Washington, purchased from Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1929 specifically to be donated to the museum.