Road Engine

 Patent No. 549,160

 Inventor: George Selden, Rochester, New York

 Issued: November 5, 1895

This patent represents a forgotten episode in the history of the automobile. The question of who invented the motor car is an open one - Ford, Daimler, Duryea, Cugnot all lay claim to the title of "Father of the Automobile" - but you will seldom hear the name of patent attorney George Selden of Rochester, New York, mentioned.

Selden squeezed the fledgling industry for royalties on every car produced until he was stopped. Who stopped him? Henry Ford. How? A court patent fight that made newspaper headlines nationwide. The outcome hinged on a curious court interpretation. The result was the greatest boon to industrial production the world had ever seen — the US automobile industry.

Note: This patent has a witnessing signature by George Eastman of Eastman Kodak.

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