The earliest years of the automobile in the late 19th Century were an incredibly productive time with hundreds of shops and manufacturers building their ideas of better transportation technology. These were new ideas with no precedent other than the horse-drawn carriage and the velocipede.  The development of the 1st horseless carriage, a true marvel, was the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen. Within the first decade of the 20th Century, industrialization fueled the thirst for self-sufficient transport. The incredible pace of experimentation and technology will be illustrated in this exhibit with highlights from Audrain Collections. Each represents a significant moment in technological advancement, really the foundation for the coming of the modern car in the late 1940s onward -- From the elegant and simple 1899 Crouch Steam Runabout and 1912 Rauch & Lang Electric Roadster to the early mass-produced Ford Model T; The sophisticated 1916 Packard Twin Six Runabout; And on into the 1920s & 30s when automobiles became a mark of power, reliability, and luxury with touring capabilities. Cars like the 1930 Duesenberg Model J and 1932 Marmon Sixteen LeBaron Coupe epitomized the quest for powerful but quiet engines. Or, the height of European grand touring performance, the 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Touring Coupe.