The first true, internal combustion engine-powered motor car was built by German engineer Karl Benz. In 1885, he unveiled the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the world's first automobile designed to be powered by an engine. While there were earlier steam-powered vehicles, Benz's creation was the first to combine a lightweight chassis with a single-cylinder, four-stroke gasoline engine, establishing the blueprint for all modern cars.
Benz's vehicle was a revolutionary piece of engineering. Its single-cylinder four-stroke engine had a displacement of 954 cc and produced about 0.75 horsepower, allowing it to reach a top speed of 10 mph (16 km/h). The chassis was a tubular steel frame, and it used wire-spoked wheels, a concept borrowed from bicycles. A significant innovation was the use of a differential gear to balance the speed of the rear wheels when cornering. Benz received the patent for his "vehicle powered by a gas engine" (DRP No. 37435) on January 29, 1886.
It's important to acknowledge that the development of the automobile was a process involving many inventors. Prior to Benz, Frenchman Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built a steam-powered artillery tractor in 1769, and in the 1870s, Siegfried Markus built gasoline-powered carts. However, the Patent-Motorwagen was the first fully integrated, practical vehicle intended for personal transportation, marking the official birth of the automotive industry.
| Feature | Specification of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen |
|---|
| Inventor | Karl Benz |
| Year of Patent | 1886 (Granted January 29) |
| Engine Type | Single-cylinder, four-stroke |
| Engine Displacement | 954 cc |
| Power Output | 0.75 hp (0.55 kW) |
| Top Speed | 10 mph (16 km/h) |
| Transmission | Single-speed, open belt drive |
| Chassis | Tubular steel frame |
| Key Innovation | Differential rear axle |
| Fuel Consumption | Approximately 10 L/100km |
| Number of Wheels | 3 (Tricycle design) |
| Notable Material | Wooden-spoked wheels with iron rims |
