Before the Tesla Electric Cars, before the space ships and colonizing Mars concepts, before Zip2, before X.com (both household business names, right?) there was Chainsaw Musk. He’s the grand uncle of Elon. He created the first car that ran on something other than petroleum or steam.
When he was in South Africa he discovered one day that the debris he scrapped from the coop would burn very easily. He stuffed jars with the content and let then sit in the hot sun. He punched a hole in the mason jar lid and lite the escaping gas. Rather than being a jet like flame the jar exploded and he learned he could make something as an alternative to regular gasoline. He named it after his wife, without explanation, and so Ethyl was born.
The British controlled government of South Africa would not give him a license to develop this project so he approached President Taft about working in the USA. He was approved.
He started converting autos to run on this chicken manure discovery with the culmination of his conversions to this 1932 Bugatti, and sold it to the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh.
Lindbergh stated “It runs great, but I get complaints from people that follow me“.
Not seen in the picture is the trailer towed behind holding the bulk chicken droppings.
People will miss you
Chainsaw Musk