Karl Benz Patents First Gasoline-Powered Automobile
Karl Benz, a German engineer, made a significant contribution to automotive history by patenting the first gasoline-powered automobile on January 29, 1886. This groundbreaking vehicle was a three-wheeled design equipped with a single-piston water-cooled engine, producing less than one horsepower. Despite its modest capabilities, Benz proudly showcased his invention on the streets of Munich and later introduced it for commercial sale in July of the same year. Benz, often regarded as a pioneer of the modern automobile, founded his company, Benz and Co., in 1883, initially focusing on industrial engines. His work was influenced by fellow engineer Gottlieb Daimler, who was simultaneously developing his own automotive prototypes. The internal combustion piston engine that Benz utilized has since evolved and remains the predominant engine type in automobiles today, amidst competition from diesel and alternative engines. In 1926, Benz's company merged with Daimler's, leading to the formation of Daimler-Benz, which became the foundation for the Mercedes-Benz brand, a major global automotive manufacturer. Benz retired in 1903 and passed away in 1929, leaving a lasting legacy on the automotive industry.
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Karl Benz Patents First Gasoline-Powered Automobile
Karl Benz Patents First Gasoline-Powered Automobile
The development of the modern automobile took a major step forward on January 29, 1886, when German engineer Karl Benz was granted a patent for the first automobile propelled by a gasoline-powered engine. It was a three-wheeled vehicle with a single-piston water-cooled engine that delivered less than one horsepower. Nevertheless, he drove it proudly through the streets of Munich, and introduced his cars commercially in July of that same year.
Benz, regarded as one of the fathers of the modern automobile, was born on November 23, 1844, in Muehlburg, Germany. He was educated in the technical arts and started his own company called Benz and Co. in 1883 to manufacture engines for industrial use. While working on various new types of engines, he met Gottlieb Daimler, another engineer who was developing an automobile prototype. Benz was inspired by Daimler and began work on his own vehicle, though he chose a three-wheel design, which would eventually prove to be unpopular. The gasoline-powered internal combustion piston engine used by Benz remains the most popular type of automobile engine, though it has been extensively modified and expanded over the decades and has faced considerable competition from diesel engines (which are oil-fueled) and other alternatives, including the rotary engine and gas turbine engine.
Daimler patented his own engine the next year, in 1887. His automobile company Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschat had produced the Mercedes model, named for the daughter of a wealthy Austrian businessman and one of Daimler's biggest customers. Daimler's company merged with Benz's in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz, the predecessor of today's Mercedes-Benz, one of the world's largest car and truck manufacturers. As for Benz himself, he retired in 1903 and died on April 4, 1929, in Ladenburg, Germany.