Karl Benz was born on the 25th of November 1844 in Karlsruhe Germany. He attended Polytechnic University there before gaining his first practical experience at various mechanical engineering companies. He was a German Mechanical Engineer.

Karl Benz - Automotive Innovator

The early life of Karl Benz

After gaining some experience from various mechanical firms then he founded his own company with his one fellow companion in 1872 Eisen geese of iron which was later named Factory of Machines and sheet metal however it was not much of a success at first and it was only the dowry of Karls's wife Bertha that saved them from immediate loss.

Karl Benz developed his two-stroke engine design

In 1877 Karl Benz started developing 2 stroke engine and after 2 years it ran sufficiently for the first time. The patent for gas-fueled Four-stroke cycle engines was already owned at that time by the Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz (Daimlers company). 

Nevertheless, Benz did patent some of his inventions such as his engine speed regulator, a stock corporation under the name Gasmotoren-Fabrik Mannheim (Karl's company) was set up in 1882 Karl Benz resigned from it a short time later though.

Benz & Companie Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik

Only the founding of the Benz & Companie Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik and the entrepreneur Max rose and Frederick Wilhelm led Benz to eventual success. The company established in 1883 expanded quickly and was even able to grant licenses for the construction of gas fuel engines. For Benz, it finally became possible to devote his time to the development of the car engine. 

What was Karl Benz's company?

Unlike Gottlieb Daimler who integrated his engine into the carriage. Karl Benz was aiming for the development of an entire vehicle and not installing the engine in the carriage. But to make a full vehicle. 

It featured wire wheels with a four-stroke engine of his own design and the Motorwagen worked as power was transmitted using two roller changes to the rear axial. Karl Benz finished his creation in 1885 and named it Benz's patent Motorwagen (motorcar).

In 1886 he was able to present his first Benz patent motor car to the public a three-wheeled vehicle powered by a four-stroke gasoline engine. From 1885 to 1887 three models with slight variations were produced. 

Bertha Benz first lady to drive a car

One woman thought it was ready for the world. His wife Bertha Benz. Without knowing Karl she took the car. She undertook the first long-distance drive in the world. At that time no one believed it was a car on the road.

Bertha Benz and her sons traveling on motorwagen

With the so-called model 3 Bertha Benz, in 1888 at a distance of 100 kilometers from Mannheim to the Pforzheim she experienced an adventurous drive of 65 miles without her husband but with her two sons Eugen and Richard but she only let Karl know after a happy and safe arrival of them.

What further modifications were done to the car?

In 1893 Karl Benz introduced actual pivot steering to car construction followed three years later by the Contra engine the ancestors of today's Piston engine. The breakthrough for the Benz & Companie came in 1894 wherein this light and budget-priced automobile was manufactured for 5 years with a total production of about 1200 units. 

It was the first mass-produced car in the history of the automobile. At the turn of the century, Benz & Company was the leading manufacturer of automobiles in the world with over 430 employees. Karl Benz left the company two years later on the account of discrepancies with the management.

How did Karl Benz change the world?

Together with his son Eugen, he established a new company Ladenburg in 1906 until the mid-20s the Benz and the Zuma cars were produced there as Taxis they gained a certain degree of recognition, especially in England. 

Did Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler work together?

Although Gottlieb Daimler died in March 1900, there is no evidence whether Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler knew each other or knew about each other's achievements. They never met in person with each other. 

Maybach - Mercedes Relation

Eventually, competition with Daimler Gesellschaft (DMG) began to challenge the leadership of Benz & Cie. In October 1900 the main designer Wilhelm Maybach built the engine that was later used in Mercedes. The engine of Mercedes was built to the specification of Emil Jellinek under a contract for him to purchase thirty-six vehicles with the engine and become a dealer of special series. The new engine was named Daimler-Mercedes.

As opposed to Gottlieb Daimler who died in 1900 it was granted to Karl Benz to witness the Boom of motorization and the final breakthrough of his idea.

Contributors to automobile

In 1886 Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz developed simultaneously the first motor-driven vehicle. Other famous germans who invented different kinds of engines were Rudolf Diesel, Nicolaus Otto, and Felix Wankel. It took until the 1920s but finally, the automobile conquered the world 

Karl Benz one of the fathers of the automobile died in 1929 at his house in Ladenburg.