diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 807849c..cc0f159 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 .venv
 /.idea/
+/database.db
diff --git a/api/main.py b/api/main.py
index 3d4a147..a3db2db 100644
--- a/api/main.py
+++ b/api/main.py
@@ -1,20 +1,75 @@
 import datetime
 
 from fastapi import FastAPI
+from sqlmodel import Session, SQLModel, create_engine, select
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 
 from api.models import Car, FuelItem
 
-app = FastAPI()
+sqlite_file_name = "database.db"
+sqlite_url = f"sqlite:///{sqlite_file_name}"
+
+connect_args = {
+        "check_same_thread": False
+        }
+engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=True, connect_args=connect_args)
 
 
-car = Car(id_string="Auto 1")
-fill_item = FuelItem(
-        car=car,
-        date=datetime.date.today(),
-        odometer_reading=101005,
-        fuel_fill=52.26
-        )
+def create_db_and_tables():
+    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)
 
-@app.get("/")
-async def root():
-    return fill_item
\ No newline at end of file
+
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
+    # startup
+    create_db_and_tables()
+    car = Car(id_string="Auto 1")
+    with Session(engine) as session:
+        session.add(car)
+        session.commit()
+        session.refresh(car)
+        fill_item = FuelItem(
+                car_id=car.id,
+                date=datetime.date.today(),
+                odometer_reading=101005,
+                fuel_fill=52.26
+                )
+        session.add(fill_item)
+        session.commit()
+        session.refresh(fill_item)
+    yield
+
+
+app = FastAPI(lifespan=lifespan)
+
+
+@app.post("/cars/")
+def create_cars(car: Car):
+    with Session(engine) as session:
+        session.add(car)
+        session.commit()
+        session.refresh(car)
+        return car
+
+
+@app.get("/cars/")
+def read_cars():
+    with Session(engine) as session:
+        cars = session.exec(select(Car)).all()
+        return cars
+
+
+@app.post("/fill_items/")
+def create_cars(fill_item: FuelItem):
+    with Session(engine) as session:
+        session.add(fill_item)
+        session.commit()
+        session.refresh(fill_item)
+        return fill_item
+
+
+@app.get("/fill_items/")
+def read_cars():
+    with Session(engine) as session:
+        fill_items = session.exec(select(FuelItem)).all()
+        return fill_items
diff --git a/api/models.py b/api/models.py
index fb7e6a8..ec7a845 100644
--- a/api/models.py
+++ b/api/models.py
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 import datetime
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, EmailStr
+from sqlmodel import Field, SQLModel
 
 
-class Car(BaseModel):
-    id_string: str
+class Car(SQLModel, table=True):
+    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
+    id_string: str = Field(nullable=False, index=True)
 
 
-class FuelItem(BaseModel):
-    car: Car
-    date: datetime.date
-    odometer_reading: float
-    fuel_fill: float
\ No newline at end of file
+class FuelItem(SQLModel, table=True):
+    id: int | None = Field(default=None, primary_key=True)
+    car_id: int | None = Field(default=None, foreign_key="car.id")
+    date: datetime.date = Field(nullable=False, index=True)
+    odometer_reading: float = Field(nullable=False)
+    fuel_fill: float = Field(nullable=False)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 2084b60..bfd1b84 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ annotated-doc==0.0.*
 annotated-types==0.7.*
 anyio==4.11.*
 fastapi==0.120.*
+sqlmodel==0.0.*
 uvicorn==0.38.0
 idna==3.11
 pydantic==2.12.*