The name taxicab - usually abbreviated to taxi - derives from the taximeter, the instrument which measures the distance travelled - or time taken - thus allowing an accurate fare to be determined. This device was invented by the German inventor, Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891. Gottlieb Daimler built the world's first dedicated taxi in 1897 called the Daimler Victoria. The taxi came equipped with the newly invented taxi meter. On 16 June, 1897 the Daimler Victoria taxi was delivered to Friedrich Greiner, a Stuttgart entrepreneur who started the world's first motorized taxi company.

Taxi Dreams
By the end of the 19th century, automobiles began to appear on city streets throughout the country. It was not long before a number of these cars were hiring themselves out in competition with horse-drawn carriages.

Taxi
A brief history of the London Taxi. The first motorized London taxi, the 1897 Bersey, was electrically powered and was called the Hummingbird because of its sound.

Books and Games About Taxis (Compare Prices)
For Children - A Taxi Driver in New York City
For Adults - Drive by Shootings : Photographs by a New York Taxi Driver
Games Cube - Crazy Taxi
X Box - Crazy Taxi

return to "History of Cars"

image: size-isnt-everything.co.uk'