Makes › Armstrong › Petrol-electric hybrid · Prototype · 1896 One-off
Armstrong
Petrol-electric hybrid
World's first hybrid car, with electric starter and semi-automatic transmission; only one built (Louwman Museum)
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Hajotthu · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1896
- Engine
- Twin-cylinder petrol engine with electric hybrid drive · 6,500 cc / 6.5 LFactory: 6.5 L
- Power
- 7.46 kW / 10.1 PSFactory: 10 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 30 km/hFactory: 30 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Armstrong of 1896 is described as the world's first hybrid car, combining a petrol engine with electric power. It also had an electric starter, a semi-automatic transmission and a steering wheel instead of a tiller, features other makers adopted only decades later. Only one was built.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productiononly example built | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Armstrong Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut built this single example in 1896. It paired a 6.5-litre twin-cylinder engine of 10 hp with electric drive components and a one-speed semi-automatic transmission, reaching about 30 km/h. Despite its advanced engineering the project was not commercially viable and no further cars followed. The car is now part of the Louwman Museum collection.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Petrol-electric hybrid.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Twin-cylinder petrol engine with electric hybrid drive2 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 22 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,500 cc / 6.5 LFactory: 6.5 L2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 7.46 kW / 10.1 PSFactory: 10 hp · converted2 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Semi-automatic2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 12 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 30 km/hFactory: 30 km/h2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
- 1
-
2
Armstrong petrol-electric hybrid Level B Louwman Museum
- Engine 6.5-litre twin-cylinder
- 6.5-litre twin-cylinder
- Power 10 hp
- semi-automatic transmission
- Number of gears 1 gears
- Top speed 30 km/h
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