Edward Butler

Edward Butler (1862, England - 1940) was an English inventor who produced an early three-wheeled automobile, called the Butler Petrol Cycle, which is accepted by many as the first British car. Butler showed plans for his three-wheeled vehicle at the Stanley Cycle Show in London in 1884, two years earlier than Karl Benz, who is generally recognized as the inventor of the modern automobile. Butler's vehicle was also the first design to be shown at the 1885 Inventions Exhibition, also in London. Built by the Merryweather Fire Engine company in Greenwich, in 1888, the Butler Petrol Cycle (first recorded use of the term) was a three-wheeled vehicle, with the rear wheel directly driven by a /8hp (466W) 600 cc (40 in; 2¼×5-inch {57×127-mm})...