From that link:
The discovery of carbon fiber dates back to the late 1800s when Thomas Edison was testing thousands of different materials to use as a filament in the lightbulb. Edison repeatedly superheated a piece of plain cotton thread to produce a pure carbon fiber and then presumably fashioned the tailgate of his horsedrawn wagon in carbon fiber and epoxy to impress the ladies at the town pump.
Eddi was pimpin in a buggy.![]()