8 Historical Figures Who Would Have Been Great Drivers

The first car with an internal combustion engine was designed in 1807 by François Isaac de Rivaz, which means plenty of historical figures never got a chance behind the wheel.

Would Julius Caesar have been a tailgater? Would Leonardo da Vinci have been a chronic multitasker while driving? What podcasts would William Shakespeare have listened to on his commute?

We asked our facebook followers which historical figures would have been great drivers if they’d had the chance. Here are eight of our favorite answers.

1. Jesus Christ! He would be the one perfect driver that many of us claim to be! - SP
2. Christopher Columbus. After navigating the Atlantic, I'm sure driving a car would have been quite easy. - JE
3. Paul Revere. Flew on a horse to warn everyone! Image him in a car with more than one pony. - IC
4. Ben Hur, otherwise known as Charlton Heston. - JT
5. Sacagawea - bet she would have been a great driver! - JCS
6. Isaac Newton. I think he would have had a good grasp of the underlying physics of driving. - PJ
7. Genghis Khan. That guy covered more miles than anyone. He would have gotten good behind the wheel. Road rage anyone? - CM
8. Fred Flintstone, though he’s not actually historical. He seemed to have mastered the art of steering in a “Yabba Dabba” way. - MK

Paul Revere probably would have loved Uber, and Ben-Hur could have made a fortune as a racecar driver. Their lives would have been much different if the car had been invented while they were alive!

Image by David via Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.