
The first true motorized car, as recognized by historical authorities like the German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology, was invented by Karl Benz. In 1885, he built the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a three-wheeled vehicle powered by a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. It received the official patent—DRP No. 37435—on January 29, 1886, a date widely celebrated as the car's birth.
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was a revolutionary design from the ground up, not just a motorized carriage. Its 954cc engine produced about 0.75 horsepower, enabling a top speed of 16 km/h (10 mph). The chassis was a tubular steel frame, and it featured innovations like a differential rear axle and a water-cooled engine, which were foundational for all future automobiles.
While other inventors like Gottlieb Daimler were working on internal combustion engines around the same time, Daimler's 1886 motorized carriage was an adaptation of an existing stagecoach. Benz's vehicle was the first designed from the start to be a complete, self-contained "horseless carriage." His wife, Bertha Benz, famously demonstrated its practicality with the first long-distance road trip in 1888, cementing the invention's viability.
The table below summarizes key specifications of this pioneering vehicle, illustrating its groundbreaking nature.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Karl Benz |
| Model Name | Benz Patent-Motorwagen |
| Patent Date | January 29, 1886 |
| Engine Type | Single-cylinder, four-stroke |
| Engine Displacement | 954 cc |
| Power Output | 0.75 hp (0.55 kW) |
| Top Speed | 16 km/h (10 mph) |
| Number of Wheels | 3 |
| Frame Material | Tubular Steel |
| Transmission | Single-speed, belt drive |
| First Long-Distance Trip | 1888 (Bertha Benz) |


