Automobile pioneer is a term used to describe two of the most influential figures in the history of the automobile industry: Karl BENZ and Ransom E. OLDS. Karl BENZ was a German engineer who invented the first practical motorcar in 1885, which he called the BENZ Patent-Motorwagen. Ransom E. OLDS was an American inventor who founded the Oldsmobile car company in 1897 and developed the first mass-produced car, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash. Both men were instrumental in the development of the modern automobile and their contributions have had a lasting impact on the industry.