1901
1901 · Gardner-Serpollet
Steam Carriage
Gasoline · 2WD
Vehicle chronology
The automobile,
organized by era.
Explore more than a century of vehicle history—from the first practical machines to the concepts defining what comes next.
Full timeline04 eras
1875
The beginning of the motor age
12,458 catalogued vehicles across four eras.
Browse the timeline
Four defining eras
Select an era to move directly to its year-by-year chronology.
Year by year
Every year, in time.
Each populated year is read directly from the Vehicleref archive, from the earliest entries to future concepts.
1875 — 1939The pioneering age
Antique
Hand-built machines and fearless engineering establish the foundations of the automobile.
1901
1 vehicles
1903
2 vehicles
1904
3 vehicles
1905
3 vehicles
1906
3 vehicles
1907
6 vehicles
1913
1 vehicles
1917
1 vehicles
1920
5 vehicles
1922
4 vehicles
1927
23 vehicles
1930
16 vehicles
1931
20 vehicles
1932
32 vehicles
1935
24 vehicles
1936
32 vehicles
1937
20 vehicles
1938
28 vehicles
1939
40 vehicles
1940 — 1989The iconic age
Classic
Post-war optimism, motorsport innovation, and enduring silhouettes define a celebrated period.
1940
50 vehicles
1941
40 vehicles
1943
1 vehicles
1946
50 vehicles
1948
34 vehicles
1949
43 vehicles
1950
54 vehicles
1951
49 vehicles
1952
43 vehicles
1953
64 vehicles
1954
42 vehicles
1955
59 vehicles
1957
61 vehicles
1958
55 vehicles
1959
41 vehicles
1960
51 vehicles
1962
107 vehicles
1964
66 vehicles
1965
104 vehicles
1966
91 vehicles
1967
104 vehicles
1969
110 vehicles
1970
77 vehicles
1971
90 vehicles
1972
88 vehicles
1973
66 vehicles
1974
85 vehicles
1976
66 vehicles
1979
72 vehicles
1980
65 vehicles
1981
41 vehicles
1982
53 vehicles
1983
60 vehicles
1984
39 vehicles
1985
54 vehicles
1986
65 vehicles
1987
73 vehicles
1988
63 vehicles
1989
79 vehicles
1990 — 2026The digital age
Modern
Performance, electronics, global platforms, and electrification transform the everyday vehicle.
1990
88 vehicles
1991
117 vehicles
1992
91 vehicles
1993
59 vehicles
1994
63 vehicles
1995
102 vehicles
1997
127 vehicles
1998
91 vehicles
1999
115 vehicles
2000
112 vehicles
2001
106 vehicles
2002
97 vehicles
2003
193 vehicles
2004
139 vehicles
2005
158 vehicles
2006
220 vehicles
2007
232 vehicles
2008
292 vehicles
2009
249 vehicles
2010
238 vehicles
2011
271 vehicles
2012
252 vehicles
2013
525 vehicles
2014
370 vehicles
2015
450 vehicles
2016
490 vehicles
2017
420 vehicles
2018
397 vehicles
2019
391 vehicles
2020
384 vehicles
2021
425 vehicles
2022
309 vehicles
2023
314 vehicles
2024
447 vehicles
2025
390 vehicles
2026
217 vehicles
2027 — 2028The experimental age
Concept
Future-dated vehicles, prototypes, and forward-looking ideas preview the next chapter of mobility.
2028
1 vehicles
