The First Gasoline-Powered Car

September 20, 1893:

On September 20, 1893, the Duryea Brothers road-tested the first-ever, working American gasoline-powered automobile in a portion of Springfield, Massachusetts that is now located in the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Duryea's "motor wagon" was a used horse drawn buggy that the brothers had purchased for $70 and into which they had installed a 4 HP, single cylinder gasoline engine. The car (buggy) had a friction transmission, spray carburetor and low tension ignition.  Frank Duryea test drove it again on November 10 -- this time in a prominent location: past their garage at 47 Taylor Street in Springfield. The next day it was reported by The Republican newspaper with great fanfare.
This particular car was put into storage in 1894 and stayed there until 1920, when it was rescued by Inglis M. Uppercu and presented to the United States National Museum.

Well, maybe not so fast:

John William Lambert of Ohio City made America's first gasoline powered automobile in 1891, according to a five year extensive study by L. Scott Bailey, a well-known automobile historian, editor, and publisher. The study found substantial evidence to enter this claim on Lambert's behalf. In 1891 Ohio City became the scene of the first automobile accident in the United States, when Lambert's car struck a tree stump in the road and bounced into a hitching rack.

For those who don't know, Ohio City is a few miles south of Van Wert, Ohio.  I won't weigh in on that fight.