- [Narrator] There are many surprising stories
on the stage of world history.
The invention of the automobile is one.
And, so, our play begins.
(audience applause)
In the 1670s, Ferdinand Verbiest
was a Flemish Missionary and scientist.
He was sent to visit the court
of the Kangxi Emperor in China.
The emperor's court was a dangerous place.
When Verbiest arrived, he was held prisoner,
almost chopped to bits.
But instead was forced to compete in a series
of math and astronomy contests.
You know, like you do.
Ultimately, Verbiest's performance so impressed the emperor,
he banished the current astronomer
and gave Verbiest the job.
Over the years they became friends.
Verbiest tutored the emperor in geometry,
philosophy and music.
Around 1672,
Verbiest designed, as a toy for his friend the emperor,
a steam propelled trolley.
It was an automobile in the truest sense.
No one really knows if it got built.
The drawings that Verbiest did are all that remains.
Nonetheless, those designs are most likely
the earliest self-moving machine ever conceived.
Many automobiles would follow over the years, but few were
conceived as a gift to a merciful emperor slash BFF.