1900 - The Beginning of the Oil Age

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Serpollet steam car, around 1898, photo: Technisches Museum Vienna

The steam vehicle was based on a well developed technology, which performed reliably and was relatively quiet. However, some people regarded it as rather old fashioned and too reminiscent of the "sooty" nineteenth century. Also, the steam car was subject to the strict requirements of the DÜV (the predecessor of the TÜV, a major German testing and certification organisation).