Iacocca, Lee (born 1924): An engineer who became president of the failing Chrysler Corporation in 1979 and negotiated the largest federal loan ever made to a private business. He began his career at Ford in 1945 and was president from 1970 to 1978. He retired from Chrysler in December 1992.

Kettering, Charles F. (1876-1958): A U.S. engineer who cofounded Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company) in 1909 and developed improved lighting and ignition systems. Kettering invented the first electric starter which were introduced on Cadillacs in 1912. Delco became a subsidiary of United Motors in 1916. Kettering also helped develop quick-drying finishes and antiknock fuels.

Lambert, John: America's first gasoline-powered automobile was the 1891 Lambert car invented by John W. Lambert.

Leland, Henry M. (1843-1932): A U.S. engineer who helped build the first Cadillac in 1903 and founded the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917. One of his inventions was the V-8 engine.

Lenoir, Etienne (1822-1900): A French inventor who in 1860 made the first internal-combustion engine. In 1862 he designed the first vehicle to be powered by the engine.

Michelin, Andre (1853-1931) and Michelin, Edouard (1859-1940): Born in France, the Michelin brothers are known for their revolutionary tires and detailed international travel guides. The Michelins manufactured France's first pneumatic tire and the first tire that could be easily removed in the event of a puncture. In 1888 the brothers founded the Michelin Tire Company, which introduced tire tread patterns, low-pressure balloon tires, and steel-cord tires. In 1948 the company introduced steel-belted radial tires.

Nash, Charles W. (1864-1948): A U.S. automobile manufacturer who was president of Buick from 1910 to 1916 and of General Motors from 1912 to 1916. Nash also founded the Nash Motorcar Company in 1916.

Nuffield, William R. Morris (1877-1963): A British auto manufacturer who made the first Morris-Oxford 2-seater car in 1913 and established mass production of cars in England, as Ford had done in the U.S. Morris founded the Morris Motors, Ltd., in 1919 and acquired other motor companies in the next 20 years. merging with the Austin Motor Co. in 1952 to create British Motor Corp.

Olds, Ransom E. (1864-1950): A United States inventor who founded the Olds Motor Works in 1899, marketing the first Oldsmobile in 1901. He left his company in 1904 and formed the Reo (from his initials) Motor Car Company. His car was the first commercially successful American-made auto.

Otto, Nicolaus August: Nicolaus August Otto invented the gas motor engine in 1876.

Porsche, Ferdinand (1875-1951): A German automotive engineer, born in Austria who designed electric streetcars. In 1906 he joined the Daimler auto company, and transferred to the German division at Stuttgart in 1923. In 1934 he designed the Volkswagen ("people's car") with his son which after World War II became known as the VW Beetle, eventually becoming the best-selling car in automotive history. He did not introduced his Porsche sports car until 1950.

Rolls, Charles (1877-1910): Rolls-Royce Ltd. began in 1906 when Rolls and Henry Royce (1863-1933) met. The British manufacturer of expensive, prestigious automobiles acquired Bentley Motors Ltd. in 1931. The began airplane engine manufacturing, producing the Eagle engine in 1914 and filed for bankruptcy in 1971. Later the company reorganized and separated into Rolls-Royce Motor Holdings Limited, a public automobile corporation, and Rolls-Royce Limited, a government-owned jet engine corporation.

Stanley, Francis E. (1849-1918) and Stanley, Freelan O. (1849-1940): Twin brothers who invented the first United States steam car in 1897. They manufactured Stanley Steamers until they retired during World War I, but production of their steam cars continued until 1927.

Toyoda, Kiichiro (1894): A Japanese car designer and manufacturer. He studied engineering, visited Europe and the US and set up a car manufacturing business in 1934. He changed the company name to Toyota in 1936 - a name which in Japanese conveys suggestions of speed and prosperity. Toyoda introduced the "kanban," or synchronized frequent delivery system as form of production control in 1954 and the popular Corolla in 1966.

Tucker, Preston T. (1903-57): A U.S. automobile maker who founded the Tucker Corporation in 1946. His innovative designs for the "first new car in 50 years" attracted much interest and many advance orders were purchased. After building 51 cars, his corporation went bankrupt and Tucker was indicted for fraud by the federal government. He was finally acquitted in 1950.

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