John Henry Knight

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John Henry Knight from Farnham was the first person to be convicted of speeding in the UK after he built Britain’s first petrol-powered motor vehicle in 1895.

The three-wheeled, two-seater contraption had a top speed of only 12mph, but it was enough for Knight to feel the long arm of the law. The car was subsequently converted into a full four wheeler and was the only British car at the 1896 exhibition at Crystal Palace.

Knight's vehicle was said to be "almost silent" when it was running; the vehicle entered a limited production run in 1896 and shortly after that, it was abandoned in favour of the four wheel version.