The first actual road vehicle in history was the steam-powered car invented by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot. It was first intended for military purposes. It had only three wheels and was more of a tractor than an actual car. It was a heavy vehicle, capable of moving at only 2.5 mph, but it was a breakthrough nonetheless. It was in 1769. 

But the first proper car was invented in 1886, and there are two people sharing the honor. These were a gas-powered automobile with three wheels made by Karl Friedrich Benz and a more traditional four-wheeled vehicle made by Gottlieb Daimler. Both were experiments of talented engineers, and... they were quite successful!

Source: Youtube