You're probably right about the journo, but car companies do have a long track record of "inventing" things decades after some other car company had already done it, eg Audi's claim to have invented 4wd.
Dan, do mean Butler, as the brit who invented a petrol car? I think he came up with designs and pats before Benz, but from my research I believe that acclaim should go to Siegfried Markus who made a petrol powered car which still works. To say nothing of steam vehicles dating back to Cugnot's Fardier. What constitutes a "car", is it the type of motor, the number of wheels, type of fuel? How about da Vinci's clockwork car, does that count? I think it had 4wd too!
Stuart, why no comment from you about being included as an extremist...waiting for a witty retort!