How long have cars been around?

The answer depends on what you consider a car. The first self-propelled road vehicles, powered by steam engines, were built by inventors in France and England in the 1760s and 1770s. However, these vehicles were not widely used. It was not until the late 19th century that cars, powered by internal combustion engines, became commercially viable. The first successful internal combustion engine-powered automobile was built by German inventor Karl Benz in 1885. So, the answer to your question is that cars have been around for about 138 years.