J Frank Duryea

About

Famous as the co-inventor of the United States' very first gasoline-operated automobile, Duryea was also the champion of America's first car race (held in 1895).

Before Fame

A native of Washburn, Illinois, he later settled in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he began studying combustion engines.

Trivia

In the mid-1890s, his Duryea Motor Wagon Company opened its doors.

Family Life

Though his older brother, Charles Duryea, also drafted automobile designs, Frank Duryea was largely responsible for both the final design and the mechanical assembly of the brothers' famous invention.

Associated With

He was a contemporary of fellow automotive industry entrepreneur Walter Chrysler.