In what year was the first car patented: a historical event

The question is, When did the first car come into existence?It is a hot topic among historians of technology. The concept of the car has evolved with technology, from eighteenth-century steam wagons to gasoline-powered internal combustion engines. But from a legal point of view, it's easier. First Official Patent for a Car It was registered in a particular year, and this event became the starting point for the entire automotive industry.

Many people mistakenly believe that Karl Benz or Gottlieb Daimler They invented the car from scratch, but in fact by the end of the XIX century there were already several dozen self-propelled crews on steam, electric and even gasoline. The 1886 Benz patent is recognized. The first document that enshrined the rights to the "motor wheelchair" - the prototype of a modern car. Why this happened and what nuances this story hides - we will understand below.

The debate about the priority in the invention of the car is not the first decade. The French are proud of the steam wagons of Cugno (1769), the British remember the road locomotives of Trevitic (1801), and the Americans emphasize the role of Daimler and Ford. But from a perspective patent-law The first document where the word "car" (German) Automobil) was issued in Germany in official status. And this is not a coincidence – it was German engineers who managed to combine a compact engine, lightweight frame and steerable wheels in one device.

Original Patent No. 37435 On January 29, 1886, it was kept in the German Museum of Technology in Munich. I wonder what the document calls Benz's car.Motorwagen" (motor stroller), and the term "car" was fixed later - thanks to the French inventor Émile LevassortIn the 1890s, the company began mass production of such machines. But that's another story.

Official date: Carl Benz patent 1886

January 29, 1886 This date is considered the birth of the car from a legal point of view. This day Karl Benz He received DRP patent No. 37435 for his invention - a three-wheeled self-propelled stroller with a gasoline engine. The patent describes the machine as "motorbike", since it had two large rear wheels and one small front wheel for control.

Benz’s design was revolutionary for several reasons:

• 🔧 Four-stroke petrol engine own development with a capacity of 0.75 hp (580 W) - compact and light compared to steam analogues.
• 🔋 Electrical ignition The battery is a novelty for that time (earlier used open fire!).
• 🚗 Three-wheeled circuit with steering (unlike the slow steam wagons).
• ⚙️ Chain drive on the rear axle - a prototype of a modern transmission.

Interesting fact: the first test drive Benz Patent-Motorwagen The accident ended with Karl Benz crashing into a stone wall, unable to cope with the control. But that didn’t stop him from starting a company a year later. Benz & Cie.It became the world’s first serial car manufacturer.

It is worth noting that the patent Benz covered not only the machine itself, but also key technical solutions:

⚠️ Attention: The original document is described water-cooling, evaporator even brake-system All of this later became the standard for the auto industry.

Alternative Applicants for the Title of “First Car”

Despite the official status of Benz’s patent, historians of technology have identified several other inventions that could claim to be the “first car.” Here are the most significant of them:

A particularly interesting case Siegfried Marcus Austrian inventor who built a gasoline engine in 1875 (11 years before Benz’s patent!). However, his patent was later revoked due to technical shortcomings in the description, and the car was recognized as "unmanaged" (it did not have a steering wheel, but turned due to different wheel speeds).

Another nuance: Gottlieb Daimler He patented his car only in 1889, although his engine appeared earlier (1885). The reason for the delay was that Daimler first focused on developing engines for boats and airships, and returned to cars later.

Why was the Benz patent the first to be recognized?

The question of priority was not only solved by technical advances, but also by technical advances. legalistically. Here are the key reasons why Benz’s 1886 patent became the benchmark:

• 📜 Completeness of description: The document describes in detail all the components - from the engine to the transmission, which allowed to repeat the design.
• 🚀 Implementation: Not only did Benz patent the idea, but he also built a working prototype (unlike many paper projects).
• 🏭 Serial production: Sales began in 1888. Patent-Motorwagen - The first car market in history!
• 🌍 International recognition: Benz’s patent has been cited in autopatent litigation in the United States and France.

Critical detail: Benz’s patent first appeared the word “car” in the modern sense – as a self-propelled vehicle with an internal combustion engine, designed to transport people on the roads. Previously, such machines were called "self-propelled carts" or "steam crews".

Interestingly, Karl Benz himself did not use the term "car" in the first drawings. He came later, thanks to his wife. Berte BenzIn 1888, the first-ever 104 km motor rally (from Mannheim to Pforzheim) proved the practicality of the invention. This marketing move helped popularize the machine and strengthen the position of the patent.

Technical characteristics of the first patented car

To understand how revolutionary Benz’s invention was, let’s look at the parameters. Patent-Motorwagen Nr.1 (This is the name of the first model):

• 🔥 Engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, volume 954 cm3, power 0.75 hp at 400 rpm.
• ⛽ Fuel: lygroin (intermediate product between gasoline and kerosene), consumption ~10 l / 100 km.
• 🚘 Transmission: chain drive on the rear axle, two speeds (without a gearbox in the modern sense).
• 🛑 Brakes: wooden pads pressed by a lever to the rear wheels + hand brake on the chain.
• ⚡ Electrical equipment: 6V battery for ignition (weighed 30 kg!).
• 🏋️ Weight: 265 kg (no passengers), maximum load - 2 people.

The speed characteristics by modern standards look modest:

⚠️ Attention: Maximum speed Patent-Motorwagen composed 16 km/hAnd to get to that point, it was necessary... 20 seconds! The engine was so noisy that some German cities banned the car from operating because of "disturbance of public order."

Interestingly, the first version of the car was not steering-wheel Instead, a lever was used that looked like a bicycle. And to start the engine, it was required to manually untwist the flywheel (as in modern chainsaws).

How Benz’s patent changed the world: the implications for the auto industry

The patent for the car was a catalyst for the chain of events that shaped the modern automotive industry. Here are the key implications:

1. The birth of the auto industry: In 1888, Benz founded the company. Benz & Cie. The world’s first factory for serial production of cars. By 1900, the company was producing 600 cars a year.
2. Patent wars: Benz’s patent has become the basis for lawsuits against competitors (for example, against competitors). De Dion-Bouton France. This led other inventors to license the technology.
3. Standardization: The Benz design (front steerable wheel + rear-wheel drive) became the de facto standard for cars for the next 30 years.
4. The technology race: After 1886, the mass appearance of autopatents began - in Germany alone, from 1886 to 1890, more than 200 inventions related to cars were registered.

Interesting fact: Benz's patent was the first in history to be patented. He made the inventor a millionaire fortune.. By 1900, Karl Benz was Germany’s richest industrialist and his company was the largest employer in Mannheim.

However, there were negative consequences. For example, strict patent restrictions have hampered the development of the industry:

⚠️ Attention: In the 1890s, competitors had to pay royalties in the amount of Benz technology (such as ignition systems) for using Benz technology. 5% of the value of each vehicle sold. This has led to the creation of alliances of automakers to circumvent patents (e.g., the union). Daimler-Maybach).

Light petrol engine | Electric ignition | Three-wheeled circuit (for motorcycles and microcars) | Chain drive (bicycles, motorcycles) | Steering with rotary wheel-->

Controversial moments and myths around the first autopatent

The history of the Benz patent is not without contradictions and legends. Here are the most common myths and their revelations:

• 🚫 Myth 1: Benz invented the first car in the world.

  Reality: Before Benz, there were more than 50 self-propelled crews (steam, electric), but his patent was the first. legally protected It's a gasoline-powered project.

• 🚫 Myth 2: Daimler and Benz worked together.

  Reality: They were competitors! Daimler even sued Benz for infringing on engine patents, but lost the trial.

• 🚫 Myth 3: The first car was a four-wheeled car.

  Reality: Patent-Motorwagen It had three wheels. Four-wheeled models appeared only in 1893 (for example, in the United States). Benz Victoria).

• 🚫 Myth 4: "The Benz patent is still in effect."

  Reality: The patent expired in 1903 (17 years from the date of registration), after which the technology became public domain.

One of the funniest episodes was The trial between Benz and Daimler in 1893. Daimler accused Benz of copying his engine, but the court sided with Benz, citing an earlier patent. The irony is that after 20 years, their company (their company)Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) joined together in the concentration Daimler-Benz - future Mercedes-Benz.

Where is the original patent currently stored and what does it look like?

DRP’s original patent No. 37435 is considered one of the most valuable relics of the automotive industry. It's being kept in today's German Museum of Technology in Munich (Deutsches Museum) in a special climate-controlled archive. Access to the document is strictly limited, but a digital copy of it is on display on the museum's website.

Here is what this historic document is about:

• 📄 Format: Handwritten text in German (Gothic font) with drawings made in ink.
• 🖋️ Signatures: Personal signature of Karl Benz and seal of the Imperial Patent Office of Prussia.
• 📏 Dimensions: 4 sheets of A3 format, fastened with a surg seal.
• 💰 Cost: In 2011, the insurance assessment of the document was €12 million.

It is interesting that the patent does not contain the word "Automobil“, the term is used instead ofMotorwagen mit Gasmotorenbetrieb" ("gas engined motor carriage"). The term “car” appeared later in court documents when Benz was asserting his rights to the invention.

In 2016, the 130th anniversary of the patent company Mercedes-Benz She has released a limited series of replicas. Patent-Motorwagen 130 of them, each of which came with a copy of the original patent. These are now being sold at auction for $500 000–$800 000.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the first autopatent