The Modern Automotive Industry Wouldn’t Exist Without This Car
Author: Jason / Date: August 9, 2022 / Tags: Benz Patent Motorwagon
(RareCarMarket.com) – Today, it’s hard to imagine a world without cars. They’ve been around for over a century. But where did the automotive industry get its start? Some people credit Henry Ford, who did revolutionize the industry with the invention of the assembly line. Still, Ford needed something to build, and that’s where Karl Benz comes in.
What’s likely the most classic car in the world came a decade before Ford built his Quadricycle Runabout. In 1886, Benz created the Benz Patent Motorwagen: the world’s first automobile. While no one was around to document the design and assembly process of the Motorwagon, Benz’s patent came with the modest title of Vehicle with Gas-driven Engine, essentially the birth certificate of the automobile. Benz combined three crucial components in his creation: petroleum-based fuel, a lightweight chassis, and an engine with enough power to move it.
The three-wheel 0.88 horsepower gasoline-powered wagon wasn’t all that impressive and left plenty of room for improvement. After all, horses were faster. The Motorwagen couldn’t get up hills on its own, prompting Benz to add lower gears in perhaps what was the next crucial step in birthing the automotive industry.
So, even though the first car wasn’t impressive when Benz created it, it jump-started something extraordinary. We can all thank Benz for giving us the ability to get where we’re going in minutes or hours. It sure beats walking.
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