 The camshaft was described in 1206 by Muslim engineer Al-Jazari.He employed it as part of his automata, water-raising machines, and water clocks such as the castle clock.Among the first cars to utilize engines with single overhead camshafts were the Maudslay designed by Alexander Craig and introduced in 1902 and the Marr Auto Car designed by Michigan native Walter Lorenzo Marr in 1903.