Vehicle Description
If there is one vehicle that could be considered the genesis of the
modern automobile, it is Karl Benz's revolutionary Patent
Motorwagen of 1886. To truly pinpoint the first automobile may be
an impossible task, but it was the Benz that made the first
successful and public long-distance drive and the first to
successfully reach production. It stands as one of the most
significant inventions of the 19th century and is included in the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) International Documentary Heritage Register. Benz's
creation was true to form of similar early motorcars, in that it
featured a small capacity engine in a buggy-style chassis. The Benz
used a single cylinder, horizontally placed four-stroke engine of
954 cubic centimeters. Spinning at a rather low 400 rpm (Benz
favored low-revving engines as he believed higher speeds would
cause failures), the petrol powered engine produced about 0.75
horsepower and could move the 265kg machine along at about eight
mph in ideal conditions. Power transmission was via a large flat
belt, with final drive handled by a pair of robust chains driving
the large spoked wheels. The engine was cooled via an evaporative
water system, which meant regular stops to refill the reservoir.
Engine speed was controlled via a sleeve valve below the seat and
braking via hand lever connected to the belt-pulley system. The
chassis rode on elliptic springs in the rear (as well as on the
buggy-style seat), and a single front wheel was steered via tiller
as Benz was not yet aware of the Ackermann geometry system that
allowed for two steering wheels on a front axle. Simple yet
effective, the Patent Motorwagen had a rather quiet launch as Karl
Benz was continually tinkering with the design before presenting it
to the press and potential buyers. His business partners grew
increasingly impatient, as did his wife, Bertha Benz, who had also
supplied Karl with a significant source of funds for his project.
Perhaps motivated to help her husband or probably out of sheer
impatience for his perfectionism, Bertha took her two teenage sons
in Patent Motorwagen #3 on the world's first long-distance motoring
journey - and without informing her husband. She traveled from
their home in Mannheim to Pforzheim, a one-way distance of about 66
miles (106 km). Along the way, Bertha cleared a clogged fuel line
with a hat pin and used her garter as insulation material on a
frayed wire. When the brakes were found to be inadequate, she had a
cobbler fashion some leather into the first ever brake pad. She
stopped at a pharmacy in Wiesloch to purchase ligroin (a petroleum
solvent) and thereby created the world's first filling station! Her
teenage sons often had to push the machine up steep inclines, but
the journey was completed by dusk, with Bertha notifying Karl of
her arrival in Pforzheim via telegram. She would make a successful
return trip a few days later. The importance of Bertha's drive in
the Patent Motorwagen cannot be overstated - her experiences on the
journey influenced the design of the production models and future
Benz machines. She was, in essence, the world's first development
driver for a tiny firm that would eventually grow into one of the
world's premier vehicle manufacturers - Mercedes-Benz. In 1986, to
celebrate the machine's 100th anniversary and to honor the
achievements of Karl and Bertha Benz, Daimler-Benz commissioned a
series of functional replicas of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which
were to be sold directly through the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center
in Germany. Mercedes outsourced the task of producing the model to
the highly capable John Bentley and Sons Engineering in England,
who used Daimler-Benz's authentic example as a pattern to build a
near-perfect, running and driving recreation. Since 1986
approximately 330 have been constructed by Mr. Bentley, and his
creations are considered the most desirable and authentic. Our
featured 1886 Patent Motorwagen is a brand new build direct from
John Bentley, wearing unit number MH040418. It is meticulously
handcrafted using original-type materials and detailed to a very
high standard. The finish work and quality of the machining are
impressive; from the simple, exposed mechanicals to the finely
fitted wood decking and hand-stitched black leather buggy seat. It
rides on lightweight metal spoke wire wheels built on beautiful
brass hubs as original (Benz felt wood was far too heavy and
cumbersome). The single-cylinder engine is an exquisite display in
itself; a mix of highly polished copper, brass, and deep
red-painted cast iron. It is correctly detailed down to the thick
leather belt that transmits power from the engine to the final
drive chains. It is no mere static display, as it runs and drives
in the same manner as the original. The quality and craftsmanship
are impressive throughout, and this delightful piece would be a
welcome addition to virtually any collection or transportation
museum. While it may appear on the surface to be little more than a
full-scale collectible model; it is, in fact, a fully functioning
and incredibly faithful recreation. The Benz Patent Motorwagen
stands proudly as the father of the internal-combustion motorcar,
and we are pleased to offer this outstanding tribute in celebration
of the groundbreaking original.
