Enrico Bernardi

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Enrico Zeno Bernardi (Verona, 20 May 1841 – Turin, 21 February 1919) was an Italian engineer and one of Italian automobile pioneers. He was Professor of Hydraulic and Agricultural Machinery at the University of Padua.

In 5th August 1882 he prototyped the “Motrice Pia”, the first petrol combustion engine (one cylinder, 122,5 cc), almost at the same time as German Karl Benz.^[1] The engine was fitted to his son's tricycle in 1884. A company called Miari and Giusti in Padova started produtction of Bernardi's engines and cars in 1896, soon the company was taken over by Società Italiana Bernardi and it finally stopped production in 1901.

After the withdrawal from academic life he moved to Turin in 1917, where he found his death two years later. Bernardi was later honoured by many ways, museum of vintage cars (Museo delle Macchine "Enrico Bernardi") was opened in Padua.