Benz Patent Motor Car (1889)

On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his “vehicle with gas engine operation”. The patent specification for DRP 37435 is considered the birth certificate of the automobile and coins the name Patent-Motorwagen. The world's first automobile is an independent design in which the engine and chassis form an organic unit. Benz designed it as a tricycle because he was not convinced by the turntable steering that is common in carriages. Carl Benz's decisive achievement lies in the consistency with which he made his vision of the “car without horses” a reality: he had the idea of a motor car, designed it, built it, patented it, tested it, launched it the market, produces it in series, develops it further and thus makes his invention usable. The Benz Patent Motorwagen ushers in a new era of individual mobility.