Benz Patent-Motorwagen – Key Facts
🛠️ Inventor
Karl Benz (German engineer and inventor)
📅 Year Built
1885 (Patent granted in 1886 – Patent No. 37435)
🔑 Technical Specifications
| Feature |
Details |
| Engine |
Single-cylinder 0.95 hp (0.7 kW) |
| Displacement |
954 cc |
| Top Speed |
~10–16 km/h (6–10 mph) |
| Drive System |
Rear-wheel drive, chain-driven |
| Fuel |
Ligroin (petroleum solvent) |
| Chassis |
Tubular steel frame with wooden wheels |
| Transmission |
Simple belt-driven system |
🌍 Historical Importance
- 🧾 First Automobile Patent: Issued on January 29, 1886 (Germany)
- 👩 First Long-Distance Drive: Bertha Benz drove ~106 km in 1888 to prove reliability
- 🏛️ Displayed in Museums: Mercedes-Benz Museum and others worldwide
🔍 Interesting Facts
- 🔋 No battery starter – used manual ignition
- 🔩 Only three original units were built
- 🛠 Used a crude carburetor and manual fuel priming
- 🚴 Tricycle-like design (not four-wheeled)
- 📍 Germany's Bertha Benz Memorial Route traces the original test drive
This information is for educational purposes. All historical data is based on public domain sources.