The motor car has been with us for more than a hundred years now, and it seems impossible to get through life without having access to four wheels and a combustion engine nowadays. However, there was a time when the sight of a motor vehicle was a rare thing indeed, even in the wealthier countries of the world. Now you can get vehicles through all kinds of different methods, including lease vans!
In the early years of car manufacturing, some of the most famous people on the planet were keen to see what all the fuss was about. Here are some who were instantly recognisable at the time, and who were at the height of their notoriety as the motor car started to revolutionize the way we got from A to B.
Charlie Chaplin
The rise of the motor car coincided with the growth of the movie industry, and Detroit and Hollywood became famous throughout the world in the early part of the 20th century. Perhaps the most famous movie star of them all at the time, London-born Charlie Chaplin dominated the silent era. By the end of the First World War, his face was more recognisable than any of the protagonists in the conflict.
Jack Johnson
The first African American heavyweight to become world champion, Jack Johnson divided opinion throughout his professional career. Cruelly treated by many, no-one could doubt his boxing skills. Known as the Galveston Giant, this son of former slaves became the best of them all when he beat Canada’s Tommy Burns in Australia. One of the first sports stars to become wealthy due to endorsements, he died in a car accident in 1946.
Charles Lindbergh
In the early part of the last century, aviation pioneers were the David Beckhams of their day, and none were as famous or as glamorous as Charles Lindbergh. Lucky Lindy, as he was known, was adored by millions after his heroic solo flight across the Atlantic. He later went on to become a prize-winning author and a keen environmental campaigner.
Al Capone
The prominence of gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s owed much to the rise of the automobile. In the Prohibition era, during which many of the most feared hoodlums built their fortunes and their reputations, a fast getaway was often needed. Of those who made headlines, none were more feared than Al Capone, known as Scarface. Born in Brooklyn to Italian parents, he ran the city of Chicago with an iron fist. He died in 1947 after suffering a stroke.
