Karl Benz (1844-1929) was an inventor and engineer of German nationality, distinguished worldwide for having manufactured the first vehicle with an internal combustion engine. This car was called the Benz Patent-Motorwagen and was first used by the inventor's wife in 1886.
Karl Benz's vehicle consisted of a simple tricycle that demonstrated the possibility of fueling the engine with a petroleum derivative. By then, other elements such as steam and electric propulsion had already demonstrated their ability to mobilize machines, however, before the invention of Benz, internal combustion engines - that is, internal combustion engines - lacked this acceptance.
Portrait of Karl Benz. Source: 83d40m (public domain).
Karl Benz is regarded by many as the father of automobiles, as this German engineer was the first to patent a vehicle. This patent was applied for on January 29, 1886 under number 37435.
In general terms, it can be established that the Benz motorwagen worked through a very basic system: it had an engine with 958 cubic centimeters of displacement, while the power was 0.75 horsepower. The cost of its production was 600 DM, equivalent to $ 3,620 today.
Biography
Karl Friederich Michael Vaillant, better known as Karl Benz, was born in the city of Mühlburg (now Baden-Württemberg) on November 24, 1844. His father was Johann George Benz, who was a locomotive driver, while his mother was Josephine Vaillant.
Johann Benz passed away when Karl was still very young due to pneumonia. Later, the inventor changed his name in order to honor his deceased parent.
There is very little information about the early years of Benz's life. It is known that in 1871 he founded a company dedicated to selling construction elements. After this he married Bertha Ringer, who later would be the first person to drive his vehicle. With her he fathered five children: Clara, Richard, Thilde, Ellen and Eugen.
Introduction to the world of motors
Benz had knowledge of bicycles, which led him to a workshop located in Mannheim, where these vehicles were repaired. There he met Friedrich Wilhelm and Max Rose, with whom he founded a company dedicated to the production of industrial machines known as Benz & Cie. This happened in the year 1883.
The Benz & Cie company grew quite fast. In the course of that year the company began to develop a series of industrial gas engines, which led the inventor to design the single-cylinder engine that he would later place in the motorwagen tricycle. Benz built the model with the help of his mutualist Thomas Hardessen.
In 1886, the inventor applied for a patent for his three-wheeled vehicle: the Benz Paten-Motorwagen, which can still be seen in the German Museum located in Munich.
Karl did not consider commercializing his creation until 1888, when his wife Bertha decided to drive the Motorwagen for a distance of 106 kilometers; She did this with the goal of showing her husband that his invention could become a financial success if it proved useful to the general public.
After this event, Benz joined with two partners in 1890. One of them was Friedrich von Fischer, in charge of managing the company, and Julius Ganss, who was the sales manager. This allowed Karl to freely indulge in the technical part of the vehicles, which increased the production and development of his ideas.
In 1893, Benz built its first four-wheeler, dubbed the Benz Victoria. A year later he developed the Benz Velo, a model that served as the mainstay for making the first trucks in 1895.
By 1899, the inventor - with the help of his partners - had managed to produce up to 572 automobiles, making him one of the most important vehicle manufacturers in history. That same year, the first Benz-designed car for racing appeared, which marked the beginning of many successes for Benz in this field.
Last years
In 1910, Benz founded the Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik, located in the city of Gaggenau. Later, Benz and its partner Daimler began a process of joining companies that culminated in 1926 with the creation of the famous Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
Karl Benz died in the city of Landenburg (Germany) on April 4, 1929 at the age of 84 due to pneumonia.
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen
The public presentation of this vehicle took place on July 3, 1886 in Mannheim. Supposedly Bertha Benz was the one who financed the event and the registration process, despite the fact that German law at the time did not allow a woman to register patents. Twenty-five more copies of this model were built between 1886 and 1893.
It can be established that the Benz-Patent Motorwagen consisted of a three-wheeled vehicle driven by a rear-wheel drive motor. This simple model brought with it many innovations, such as the use of steel for the tubes, together with some wooden panels.
Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Source: Alonso de Mendoza (public domain).
On the other hand, the wheels were made with rubber and steel. In turn, the steering consisted of a rack and pinion; said pinion pivoted the front wheel. Elliptical springs were used for the rear area, along with a transmission chain placed on both sides.
As for its engine, it had a single cylinder and four times. Therefore, it could produce up to 2/3 horsepower with 250 revolutions per minute. It is considered that this car was quite light for the time, since it only had a weight of 100 kilograms.
Subsequently, the German inventor developed other models of the Motorwagen, called number two (1.5 horsepower) and number three (two horsepower).
Quotes
One of the most famous phrases in the automotive world was said by Karl Benz. This one assured: "The passion to invent has no end".
Likewise, some journalists from the world of sports, such as Hugo Valverde (in the text Famous phrases in the motor world, 2011) affirm that Karl in 1920 also declared that “the automobile has reached its maximum level of development”.
References
- Fernández, A. (sf) Karl Benz, the inventor. Retrieved on December 27, 2019 from Arts and Cars: artsandcars.com.mx
- Hoyer, K. (2008) the history of alternative fuels in transportation. Retrieved on December 29, 2008 from Elsevier.
- Lorenzo, M. (2015) Karl Benz, the European motor revolution. Retrieved on December 27, 2019 from noticias.coches.com
- SA (sf) Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Retrieved on December 27, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
- SA (sf) Carl Benz. Retrieved on December 27, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
- SA (sf) Car stories. Retrieved on December 27, 2019 from talesdelcoche.com
- Valverde, H. (2011) Famous phrases in the motor world. Retrieved on December 29, 2019 from journalismodelmotor.com
- Young, W. (1994) Electric vehicles of yesterday carry us into tomorrow. Retrieved December 29 from ieeexplore.ieee.org