Random rambling, following from this line of thought.
Early automobiles were the child of bicycles and buggies. The body, frame and springs were buggies. The wheels and drivetrain evolved from bicycles and motorcycles.
Bicycle: Crank driven by feet, mounted transversely in the middle of the vehicle, driving rear wheel through a chain.
Motorcycle: Replace feet with pistons, and you have a transverse flat air-cooled engine in the middle of the vehicle, driving rear wheel through a chain.
First Automobiles: Transverse flat air-cooled engine in the middle of the vehicle, driving rear wheels through a chain.
A new arrangement, departing from bicycle genes, arrived suddenly. By 1905 most automobiles had an inline engine in front, driving rear wheels through a driveshaft. The transmission was near the rear axle at first, then migrated forward to join the engine. Ford’s T dominated the market through quantity and price, and made this arrangement universal.
Where did the new arrangement come from? It seems counterintuitive if you’re accustomed to the motorcycle form. Possibly from ships, where the propeller shaft needs to be longitudinal. Driveshafts are sometimes called propeller shafts. The steering wheel replaced the tiller around the same time, more obviously from ships.
Polistra's Mill 