The first car to arrive in Sydney was an 1899 De Dion Bouton imported by Sydney businessman and cycle enthusiast WJC “Billy” Elliott of the Austral Cycle Agency. The De Dion arrived on the Ville de la Coitat berthing in Darling Harbour on the 27th of April 1900. Just three years later the Automobile Club of Australia was founded by seven pioneer motorists.

The “new-fangled motorcar” quickly gained acceptance – by 1911 there were 3,975 cars, three vans and 2,788 motorcycles on Sydney’s roads. Under the metropolitan Traffic Act, which became law in 1902, the speed limit of 8 mph was imposed on roads within a 6-mile radius of the General Post Office in Martin Place.

Sydney would soon gain 155 coachbuilding establishments which employed 1,754 tradesman – there were seven coachbuilders located between Circular Quay and King Street. By the end of World War 11 only a handful remained and then only in the outer suburbs. By 1920 when the average wage was 4-pound,14 shillings a new Chevrolet cost 545 pounds. Six years later the average wage had risen to 5-pound, 2 shillings and 11 pence by which time the new Chevrolet had fallen to 210 pounds.

Sydney first petrol bowser was installed in a garage in Wentworth Avenue in 1926 while the first traffic lights were installed on the corner of Kent and Market Streets and began operation on the 13th.October 1933. By 1937, the speed limit in built up areas had been gradually increased to 50km/hour and to 80km/hour on more open roads.