Karl (also known as Carl) Friedrich Benz is generally recognized as the father of the internal combustion motor car, and he was the first to market a successful automobile.
In 1873, Benz developed a successful gasoline-powered two-stroke piston engine. Disputes with his business partners led to a split in 1883, the same year he founded Benz & Co in Mannheim with new backers. The business concentrated on stationary engines, but Benz continued to pursue his dream of creating a motorcar.
By 1885, Benz had successfully installed a single-cylinder, four-stroke gasoline engine in a three-wheel carriage, with its 3/4 horsepower being sent to the two rear wheels. Tiller steering controlled the front wheel. The design was primitive but incorporated many innovative features, such as the mechanically-operated inlet valve, a differential gear, and electric ignition. Carl Benz patented his car on January 30, 1886, and in 1887, he made his first sale. In August 1888, his wife Bertha demonstrated the feasibility of his vehicle as a mode of transportation by taking it on a 66-mile drive. Bertha made the eight-miles-per-hour journey, accompanied by her two older children, in Model No. 3 of her husband's invention.
Approximately 25 Patent Motorwagens were built between 1886 and 1893.
The early Benz automobiles were a combination of wood, polished copper and brass, and thin rubber tires with large wire-spoke rims. The 58.2 cubic-inch horizontally mounted single-cylinder engine used a belt primary drive and chain final drive to the rear wheels. The wheelbase measured approximately 57.9 inches, the suspension was via rear leaf springs, and a mechanical transmission brake provided the stopping power.
The three-wheeled motor buggy was soon joined by various other body styles, including those with traditional four wheels. Two-seater and Vis-A-Vis were popular, with some having rudimentary protection from the elements. The term 'Vis-A-Vis' represented a lightweight carriage for two or four passengers who were seated facing each other. In this guise, throttle controls and steering were centrally located, in between the two seats, with the engine at the rear, directly over the axle.
by Dan Vaughan