This question does not have a straightforward answer. The history of the automobile is very rich and dates back to the 15th century.
Exactly who invented the automobile is a matter of opinion. If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. Many suggest that he created the first true automobile in 1885/1886.
On July 3 , 1886 Karl Benz drove the first automobile in Mannheim, Germany, reaching a top speed of 16 km/h (10 mph). It was powered by 0.75 HP one cylinder 4 stroke gasoline engine.