When it comes to the first car in history, most imagine a primitive self-propelled carriage with a steam engine or even a carriage without horses. But in reality, everything is much more interesting! The true “progenitor” of modern cars is considered Benz Patent-Motorwagen - a three-wheeled miracle of technology created by Karl Benz in 1886. This is not just a museum exhibit, but a symbol of a technological breakthrough that changed the world forever.
Externally, the first car looked more like a bicycle with a motor than a car we are used to. Without a body, with an open seat, huge spoked wheels and a steering wheel similar to a bicycle, it looked more like a toy for desperate inventors. But it was this unit that became the first production car with a gasoline internal combustion engine - the same one that is under the hood of your car today.
In this article we will figure out exactly what the first car looked like, what technologies were used in it, why its design seemed absurd to contemporaries, and how this “grandfather” of all cars influenced the design of future cars. You will also find out how much it cost Benz Patent-Motorwagen in terms of today's money and why its copies are still driving on the roads!
1. Appearance of the first car: photo and description of the design
If you expect to see the first car in photographs as a smaller version of a modern sedan, you will be disappointed. Benz Patent-Motorwagen was more like a hybrid of a bicycle, a motorized carriage and a steam locomotive. Here are its key visual features:
- 🚲 Three-wheel design: two huge rear wheels (1.1 m in diameter!) and one small front one for steering. This design made the car more stable than competitors' four-wheeled prototypes.
- 🪑 Open seat: without doors, roof or windows - the passenger and driver sat on a wooden bench, like on a cart. In rain or snow, the trip turned into an ordeal.
- ⚙️ Engine in sight: a single-cylinder engine with a volume of 954 cm³ was located horizontally under the seat and had no hoods. All the pipes, belts and gears were visible - true steampunk!
- 🌀 Spoked wheels: like a bicycle, but with metal rims. The rear wheels were connected by a chain drive (like on a motorcycle), and the front wheels were turned using a steering wheel.
The color of the first car was also surprising: original Benz Patent-Motorwagen was painted in green with black elements - an unusual choice for the time when most vehicles (including carriages) were black or brown. Preserved examples in museums are often painted dark green with gold stripes—a restoration version that closely resembles historical photographs.
It is curious that the design of the car was dictated not so much by aesthetics, but technical limitations. For example, the front wheel was small to make turning easier (a three-wheel design has a smaller turning radius than a four-wheel design). And the lack of a body was explained simply: Benz believed that the car should be light and cheap to produce.
2. Technical specifications: what was under the hood?
By modern standards Benz Patent-Motorwagen seems funny: its engine developed only 0.75 hp (yes, less than one horsepower!), and the maximum speed was 16 km/h - faster than a running person. But for 1886 it was revolutionary! Here are the key technical data:
| Parameter | Meaning | Comparison with modern cars |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Single cylinder, 954 cm³, 0.75 hp. | A modern scooter has ~10 hp. |
| Fuel | Naphtha (legroin) - a mixture of gasoline and kerosene | Today AI-92/95 gasoline is used |
| Gearbox | None (direct drive + belt) | Even the Zhiguli has a 3-speed gearbox |
| Brakes | Manual band brake on the rear wheel | ABS and disc brakes on all wheels |
| Weight | 265 kg (without passengers) | A modern hatchback weighs ~1.2 tons |
Interesting fact: the first car had no steering wheel in the usual sense. Instead there was a lever that turned the front wheel through a gear train. To turn, the driver had to exert considerable effort - especially on uneven roads. But I was already in the car electric ignition (though from a magneto, not from a battery) and water cooling engine!
If you got behind the wheel of a Benz Patent-Motorwagen today, you would have to start it manually - using a crank, like old tractors. And to brake, you would have to press the pedal, which pressed a wooden block to the rear wheel!
The fuel tank with a volume of 4.5 liters allowed driving about 100 km at one gas station - a good indicator for that time! But we had to refuel at pharmacies: naphtha was sold as a solvent, and special gas stations did not yet exist.
3. How to drive the first car: instructions for daredevils
Management Benz Patent-Motorwagen was so unusual that even experienced coachmen of that time were at a loss. Here is a step-by-step algorithm for how to “drive” your first car:
- Starting the engine: Turn the flywheel by hand until the piston makes a few strokes, then pull the ignition cord (like a lawn mower).
- Speed adjustment: use a lever on the steering wheel to change the tension of the belt that transmits torque to the rear wheels (analogous to a modern “gas”).
- Turns: rotate the steering lever left/right, overcoming the resistance of the mechanism (there was no power steering!).
- Braking: press the pedal with your foot, which presses the leather shoe to the rim of the rear wheel.
☑️ What you need to check before driving a Benz Patent-Motorwagen
Feature of the first car - no differential. This meant that when cornering, the rear wheels rotated at the same speed, which caused the car to constantly “slide.” The driver had to compensate for this with the steering wheel, which made driving extremely tiring.
⚠️ Attention: if you tried to drive on Benz Patent-Motorwagen on a modern road, you would be fined immediately. Cause? The car didn't haveheadlights,brake lightsand evenrear view mirrors- all this appeared only in the 1910s!
By the way, the first car was single — the passenger seat appeared only in the 1887 modification. But there was no trunk at all: the drivers carried all the tools and spare parts with them in a bag.
4. How much did the first car cost and who bought it?
In 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen was worth it 600 gold marks - at that time it was an astronomical amount. For comparison:
- 🏠 The average house in Germany cost ~5,000 marks.
- 🐎 A good horse cost 200–300 marks.
- 👔 The annual salary of a qualified worker is about 800 marks.
In today's money, the first car would cost the buyer approximately 50–60 thousand euros! At the same time, Benz sold only about 25 copies for the first 5 years - the car was too expensive and unreliable for the mass consumer.
Who could afford such luxury? These were mainly:
- 👔 Industrialists and manufacturers - people who saw the car not as transport, but as an investment in the future.
- 👨⚕️ Doctors — they needed a quick alternative to horses for visiting patients.
- 🎩 Aristocratic enthusiastswho collected technical innovations (like people buying Teslas today).
Why was the first car so expensive?
The main cost was manual assembly (each part was made in a single copy) and patent royalties. Benz spent months making one car, while a carriage could be assembled in a week.
It's interesting that the first car had no license plates — they began to be issued only in 1893 in France. But driving licenses appeared even later: in Germany they were introduced in 1903, when there were too many cars on the roads.
5. How the first car changed the world: 5 key consequences
Benz Patent-Motorwagen became not just a means of transport, but catalyst for global change. Here are the processes launched by this three-wheeled unit:
- Death of the horse industry: By the 1920s, horses as transport had virtually disappeared from cities. Blacksmiths and cab drivers were left without work.
- Birth of the oil industry: The demand for gasoline has increased thousands of times. Companies like Standard Oil (predecessor ExxonMobil) became billionaires.
- Road construction: The gravel and cobblestone roads could not withstand the traffic load. Asphalt and concrete appeared.
- Changing urban layout: the streets were widened, sidewalks, traffic lights and parking lots appeared.
- Creation of new professions: mechanics, drivers, car designers - all this arose thanks to the first car.
But there were also negative consequences. For example, already in 1896 the first case was registered in London Fatal accident - A car hit a pedestrian. And 10 years later the first speed limits (24 km/h in the city).
Without the Benz Patent-Motorwagen there would be no Ford Model T, no Tesla, no modern supercars. It was this car that proved that the gasoline internal combustion engine is the future of transport.
Today Benz Patent-Motorwagen is not only a museum exhibit, but also symbol of innovation. Company Mercedes-Benz (the successor of the Benz company) still produces replicas of the first car, and in 2011 one of them drove 103 km on the original route Benz - from Mannheim to Pforzheim, repeating the legendary run of 1888.
6. Where can you see the first car today?
Original Benz Patent-Motorwagen only survived 3 copies, and they are all in museums:
- 🏛️ Mercedes-Benz Museum (Stuttgart, Germany) — the most famous example (1886) is stored here, completely restored and running.
- 🏛️ Deutsches Museum (Munich, Germany) - a car from 1887 with a passenger seat.
- 🏛️ Science Museum (London, UK) - a replica assembled according to original drawings.
If you want to see the first car in action, follow the events Mercedes-Benz Classic. The company regularly organizes demonstration races of replicas on historical tracks. For example, in 2021 Benz Patent-Motorwagen drove through the streets of Berlin as part of the vintage car festival.
At the Mercedes-Benz Museum you can not only look at the first car, but also take a ride in its replica! You can sign up for a test drive on the official website of the museum (cost is about 200 euros).
The price of the original first car at auctions can reach several million euros. For example, in 2011 at an auction RM Sotheby’s a replica made in 1886 sold for $3.5 million - a record for cars of that period.
7. Myths and legends about the first car
Around Benz Patent-Motorwagen There are many myths circulating. Let's look at the most popular:
⚠️ Attention: There is often a statement on the Internet that he invented the first car Gottlieb Daimler or Henry Ford. This is not true! Benz patented his car 5 years earlier Daimler (1886 vs 1891), and Ford began production Model T only in 1908.
Other common misconceptions:
- ❌ “The first car was driven by a couple” — no, it was a gasoline internal combustion engine. Steam cars (eg. Stanley Steamer) appeared later.
- ❌ "Benz copied the idea from the French" - on the contrary, French inventors (like Émile Levassor) took inspiration from Benz.
- ❌ "The first car was electric" - electric vehicles (for example, Flocken Elektrowagen) appeared in 1888, but did not become widespread due to weak batteries.
Here's a true but little-known fact: Karl Benz's wife, Bertha Benz, played a key role in popularizing the car. In 1888 she secretly from her husband she took a Patent-Motorwagen and drove 104 km from Mannheim to Pforzheim, proving the practicality of the invention. Along the way, she had to repair the chain with a stocking needle and buy gasoline at the pharmacy! This run is considered the first in history intercity car trip.
FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions about the first car
🔧 Why was the first car three-wheeled and not four-wheeled?
Benz chose a three-wheel design for three reasons:
- Easier to control (no need to synchronize the rotation of the front wheels).
- Cheaper to produce (one wheel less).
- More stable on uneven roads (lower center of gravity).
In addition, Benz initially planned to make the car look like a bicycle - he was very familiar with it, since his first company was engaged in the production of bicycle parts.
⛽ What fuel did the first car use?
Engine Benz Patent-Motorwagen worked for naphtha - a light fraction of kerosene, which today is used as a solvent or fuel for jet engines. Naphtha had an octane number of about 50–60 (for comparison: modern AI-95 has 95).
Interestingly, Benz first experimented with light gas (a by-product of coal coking), but abandoned it due to its explosiveness.
💰 How much does a replica of the first car cost today?
Cost of an exact replica Benz Patent-Motorwagen depends on the level of detail:
- 🪵 Homemade replica (from scrap materials) - from 5,000 euros.
- 🔧 Assembled from ready-made components — 50,000–100,000 euros.
- 🏆 Official replica from Mercedes-Benz (with original drawings) - 200,000–500,000 euros.
Company Mercedes-Benz Classic From time to time it produces limited editions of replicas, but the queue for them is scheduled for years in advance.
🚗 Is it possible to legally drive your first car on modern roads?
Technically yes, but with caveats:
- ✅ Replicas in Germany and some other EU countries Benz Patent-Motorwagen registered as
historical vehicles(with a speed limit of up to 25 km/h). - ❌ In Russia and the USA, such cars are not certified for public roads - they can only be operated in closed areas or with a special permit.
The main problem is the lack modern security systems (brakes, lighting, mirrors), which is why the car fails inspection.
🔄 Why didn’t the first car have a gearbox?
Benz considered the checkpoint unnecessary for two reasons:
- The engine produced too little power (0.75 hp) to require multiple gears.
- The car was light (265 kg), so it could start and accelerate in one gear.
Instead of a checkpoint it was used belt variator - a pulley system that allowed you to smoothly regulate the speed. Similar mechanisms are used today in scooters and snowmobiles.