1895 Duryea Car Patent Print, First American Auto, Antique Motoring Wall Art

What makes this 1895 patent drawing by Charles E. Duryea one of the most historically electrifying documents in The Millaner Archive is its place in history — this is the official United States patent for the first successfully commercialised gasoline automobile in America, making it the literal birth certificate of the American motoring age.

Patent No. 540,648, granted June 11th 1895, belongs to Charles E. Duryea — co-inventor alongside his brother Frank of the Duryea Motor Wagon, the first American petrol-powered automobile to be built and sold commercially. 

When this patent was filed, horses still dominated every road in America. 

Within a generation, Duryea's invention had changed the world forever.

The engineering illustration is magnificent — a full mechanical cross-section of the road vehicle's drivetrain rendered in confident, flowing Victorian ink work on warm aged parchment.

The large spoked carriage wheels dominate the composition with elegant geometric precision, while the extraordinarily complex engine and transmission mechanism at the centre reveals the full mechanical ingenuity that made this vehicle revolutionary.

Two witness signatures appear at the bottom left alongside Duryea's own inventor's signature — "Chas E. Duryea, by Chapinites, Attys" — lending the document its full legal and historical authority. Sheet 1 of 4.

At The Millaner Archive, we do not merely duplicate historical scans — we thoughtfully revitalise their original majesty.

This museum-grade reproduction has been meticulously optimised to preserve every gear annotation, every spoked wheel detail, and the rich warm parchment character of this irreplaceable piece of motoring history.

Premium Presentation: Printed on heavy, archival-grade textured fine art paper with a soft matte finish perfectly replicating the aged parchment character of the original 1895 patent document.

Flawless Resolution: Every mechanical component, witness signature, and engineering annotation preserved with absolute clarity.

Sizing Options: The portrait format and extraordinary mechanical composition make this exceptional for garages, home offices, studies, and automotive-themed spaces.

Available in standard gallery framing sizes (e.g., A4, A3, 11×14", 16×20").

Sustainably Made: Printed to order using premium, fade-resistant archival mineral inks.