05/15/2026
Did you all know that Tampa’s earlier driveless car demonstration (it might have been the first) occurred in 1932?! We think the driverless car emerged from R.S. Evans on Jackson Street. Or, the lot that now Hyatt House sits on (that fun Buckhorn-boosted Project) just east of City Hall.
Check out the article and image from
Robertson and Fresh.
The article is from The Tampa Daily Times, Tampa, Florida · Wednesday, February 10, 1932
The building photo is from Robertson and Fresh, "R.S. Evans Motors on Jackson Street" (1930). Robertson and Fresh Collection of Tampa Photographs. Image 1752.
___________________________________
“DRIVERLESS AUTO DODGES CITY TRAFFIC
Controlled by Radio, Car Runs Through Crowded Streets.
Tampans yesterday saw a driverless automobile propelling itself through the crowded business dis-trict.
"It doesn't seem possible."
"There's a trick to it."
"The driver is under the hood."
"It can't be done."
These and similar expressions were shouted and whispered as the car rode through traffic, made complete U-turn at Franklin and Lafayette streets, straightened itself and proceeded northward back to the plant of R. S. Evans, who sponsored the event.
By this time you have guessed it.
It is the new wonder of the age-a radio-controlled automobile.
Directed From Rear.
Captain Lynch, who has been engaged in perfecting this mechanical wonder, was seated in the second car, On the lap of his companion was an instrument board fitted up with small batteries and a telegraphic key, similar to the dispatching instruments seen in telegraphie offices.
Captain Lynch touched the key, the starter in the driverless car turned over, the motor was spinning with life and energy.
He pressed another code message through the key the front car was off. Lynch's car follow-ed, about five fert behind.
On and on went the spooky, mystical little automobile driven by an unseen hand, a marvelously uncanny creation.
It stopped itself, started, turned to right or to left, turned suddenly to right and then to left, completing a perfect cirele and turn, righted itself, drove straight ahead.
It missed automobiles to left and to right, it passed street cars, it stopped as a bicyele rider passed in front of the car.
Newly Developed.
Radio control,comparatively new, is still in its infancy. Already tests have been successfully completed whereby airplanes can control automobiles on the ground far below. But a driverlesa car in
crowded traffic, driving itself for-ward, turning, twisting and stopping is something new.
"Anything is possible these days," declared Mr. Evans as he stood watching the denionstrition. There is only one thing that the radio-control fails to do, and that is to back the car. Sounding the horn is no trick at all, yet a few scant years ago such a feat would have been most amazing, actualiy unreal.
Led by a motor police patrol, the driverless automobile left the Evans garage at 3 o'clock p. m., progressed southward to Platt, made a perfect right turn into Franklin and proceeded to Lafayette where a perfect circular turn was negotiated, the radio-con-trol being solely and completely in command.”
