Patent-Motorwagen, The World’s First Car Built By Carl Benz Was Unveiled 138 Years Ago

Patent-Motorwagen, the world’s first-ever car built by Karl (or Carl) Benz was patented and unveiled 138 years ago.

Carl Benz’s Patent-Motorwagen (patent motorcar) is widely regarded as the world’s first practical automobile.

It was the first car put into series production, costing 600 imperial German marks at the time ($150) – equivalent to $4,500 in 2021.

Patent-Motorwagen features three wire-spoked wheels and a single-cylinder four-stroke engine, which puts out 0.75 hp. 

January 29th this year marks 138 years since German engineer Karl (or Carl) Benz patented and unveiled his three-wheeled motor car, the Patent-Motorwagen – the world’s first car.

Since then, January 29th 1886 has been considered the birthday of the automobile while the patent – number 37435 – has been regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile.

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Car pictured is a working replica of the 1885 Benz Motorwagen in Frankfurt, 2007

Carl Benz’s Patent-Motorwagen (patent motorcar), built in 1885, is widely regarded as the world’s first practical automobile. It was the first car put into series production, costing 600 imperial German marks at the time ($150), which was equivalent to $4,500 in 2021.

Major features of the two-seater vehicle were the three wire-spoked wheels and the compact high-speed single-cylinder four-stroke engine installed horizontally at the rear, which puts out 0.75 hp (0.55 kW).

Benz’s wife Bertha and their two sons Eugen (15) and Richard (14) embarked on the first long-distance journey in automotive history on an August day in 1888.

While Karl (or Carl) Benz was credited with inventing the world’s first practical modern automobile, his wife Bertha showed him and the world how to use it.

Carl Benz’s wife Bertha demonstrated its feasibility of the car on a maiden trip, the first long-distance journey in automotive history, from Mannheim to Pforzheim in August 1888.

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