Santiago do Cacém launches children's book on Portugal's first car

Authors Ana Maria Magalhães and Isabel Alçada have released a new children's book titled ‘Que grande novidade! O primeiro automóvel em Portugal’, detailing the arrival of the first automobile in Portugal in 1895.

The book, illustrated by Pedro Brito, was commissioned by the Santiago do Cacém Municipality to educate younger generations about a historical event linked to the region. The narrative focuses on a Panhard & Levassor vehicle imported from Paris by the aristocrat Jorge d’Avillez.

Historical research reveals that the vehicle's arrival in October 1895 faced customs complications, as officials debated whether to classify it as agricultural machinery or a ‘locomóvel’ (steam-powered machine). After being classified as a locomóvel, the car was assembled in a carriage workshop and took three days to travel from Lisbon to Santiago do Cacém. The journey included passengers Jules Phillipe and Hidalgo Vilhena, and was marked by an accident in Palmela.