1886 Benz

1886 Benz

A replica of the first ever Automobile as built by Carl Benz of Manheim Germany, an engineer/inventor working in the new field of internal combustion engines.

After years of struggle gaining skills and experience while supporting his widowed mother and family, in 1885 the then 40 year old Benz opened his own workshop and developed this three wheeler.  The first drive around the yard ended in a crash!

Granted patent number 37,435 on Jan 29 1886, the "Benz Patent

Motorwagen" is recognised today as the first ever automobile.

Benz just pipped Gottlieb Daimler from Cannstatt (only 90km away) for this honour.  They were unaware of each other's work until later, and never met- although their businesses joined in 1926 to become today's Mercedes Benz.

In addition to Benz and Daimler, many other internal combustion engine "firsts" occurred in South Germany (the 19th cent. Silicon Valley of engineering) during this 1850 to 1900 period.  These included; the first successful IC. engines (Otto and Langen), the carburettor (Maybach), and compression ignition engines (Diesel).

The Benz Patent Motorwagen has a spark ignition (battery and Ruhmkorff coil) 954cc single cylinder vertical shaft engine giving 0.75 hp at 400rpm for 15km/hr on the road.  Pre-dating the modern carburettor, vapour is drawn from the airspace above petrol (benzine, no relation) in a tank.  For mixture control, the driver adjusts the amount of air entering a bypass directly to the engine inlet pipe.

Starting, by pulling on the flywheel, is generally easy- in warm weather anyway.  Drive is engaged by shifting the flat belt onto the differential pulley from the adjacent freewheeler.  Full-off on the drive lever operates a shaft brake.  Driving is practicable and economical.  Slopes of more than a few degrees are a challenge though and cornering stability can be marginal, even at just 15km/hr.

Benz and other famous names don't deserve all the credit for the birth of motoring however.  In 1888, frustrated at Carl's reluctance to promote his invention, Mrs Benz and their young sons "stole" one of the cars for a 140km round trip to Pforzheim while he was away,- conclusively proving the automobile's practicality.

Brian Black, Christchurch, built this replica in 2001 having obtained permission and original drawings from Mercedes Benz.  Current owner; Peter Lynn, Ashburton.