Karl Benz was a famous German inventor and engineer. He is considered as a major contributor to modern automobile designs. Benz also developed the internal combustion gasoline engine meant for 1885 version of “horseless carriage.” At start, it was a 3-wheeled vehicle.
Besides this, his other innovations include water cooling, a carburetor, rack-&-pinion steering, and electrical ignition system. We have gathered a list of 7 facts about this inventor.
Karl Benz: 7 astonishing facts about this German engineer
1. He invented motorized vehicles
For Benz’s development of motorized tricycle in 1885, he was given credit by a few for making the very first automobile. Some are of the view that his 3-wheel design didn’t constitute an accurate modern car. An interesting fact about Karl Benz is that he left his extraordinary mark on the vehicle industry by simply pioneering his very first motorized vehicle. He also founded an automobile company which was later named as Mercedes-Benz.
2. Karl Benz had an interest in mechanics during his childhood
Benz opened eyes in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1844. His father was a railroad engineer and died due to pneumonia while his son, Karl Benz, was just 2-years-old at that time. Later, the money which Benz’s mom got after her husband’s death was not much to meet the expenses. He needed to support his family when he grew up.
Even as a little boy, he loved technology. Benz used his talent in this field to make more money. Benz’s starting jobs were to fix clocks and watches, and later he made a darkroom. In that room, he developed photos for tourists who visited the Black Forest.
3. His school teachers were amazed to observe his mechanical skills
His abilities for the technical matters were displayed even when he was in school, an interesting Karl Benz fact. He was an assistant to his physics teacher. Benz continued his studies at Karlsruhe Polytechnic & then he went for work at a workshop of an engine manufacturer. He aimed to work at engine assembly plant. Benz also wondered to invent the horseless carriage. So, he tried hard to learn about engines.
4. Karl Benz invented the first motor carriage
After garnering the knowledge in 1871, Benz moved on to the position with a pump and wagon organization in Mannheim, where he gained more relevant experience. In 1872, Benz was completely prepared to open a personal engine shop. Before starting the business, he got married to Berta Ringer.
5. Benz founded 2 companies to invent engine
Karl became famous as a manufacturer. He sold so many engines & won confidence of high and mighty investors. With the financial help of others, Benz became the founder of the Mannheim Gas Engine Manufacturing Company that he used to invent his first horseless carriage. Although the venture made a huge profit quickly, his investors wanted him not to spend precious resources on different inventions. After being in the business for just three months, he left that company.
In 1883, after lining up other shareholders, Benz founded another business that was known as Benz & Company. This company was meant for selling stationary gas engines. However, the newcomers were also ready to help his horseless carriage if it didn’t divert attention from making of primary products.
After twenty years of planning about Benz’s horseless carriage, he finally had enough resources to develop it. In the year 1885, he invented his automobile, a motorized tricycle. It was revolutionary invention due to its utilization of gasoline-powered combustion engine, an interesting fact about Karl Benz.
6. His four-wheeled horseless carriage served as basis of a four-wheel car
He had also given into a notion of a 4-wheeled automobile reluctantly. Contrary to some automobile inventors, he didn’t feel that the car should physically look like a traditional 4-wheeled carriage. Thus, after the new model of 1890, Benz was much more interested in bringing few alterations in thebasic design. Benz’s opinions were quite strong that right after a significant update of his automobile in the year 1905, he used to drive his old car models.
7. Benz’s Competitor was Daimler Cars
An important competitor of Benz was his fellow German named Gottlieb Daimler. Gottlieb had developed a better combustion engine & patented it five months just before Benz’s engine. The very first auto in which Benz demonstrated his vehicle was the bicycle that resulted in the very first motorcycle. All those who supported Benz argued that his 2-wheeled auto resembled the new auto less than Benz’s tricycle. Irrespective, Daimler continued to become a big producer of 4-wheeled auto and thus became one of Benz’s biggest competitors in German and French markets.
In order to get a bigger share in the French market, Gottlieb Daimler developed a new auto that was based on Mayback’s 1901 model. This modern car was going to sell in France; however, another company already got the license to use the Daimler name over there. Emil Jellinek, the business partner from Austria, was a Daimler representative. For getting around that license for this name exclusively in France, an important decision was taken to name the modern car after Jellinek’s daughter – Mercedes.Daimler died in the year 1900, before that name was taken for his new car.
Daimler Company continued to do its business even after Daimler’s death. The Benz and Daimler companies suffered largely due to the economic recession after World War-I. For strengthening their probabilities of survival, both companies decided to merge to make Mercedes-Benz in the year 1926.
Thus, Benz did not remain very much involved with the business operations, though he used to get recognition for his invention as the automotive pioneer. Benz’s vehicles were taken by different museums. In 1929, Benz was also honored with the particular procession of thousands of autos from the Heidelberg to his house in Ladenburg. During that procession, a large number of famous people also made speeches in Benz’s honor & proclaimed him as the great inventor of the automobiles, an interesting Karl Benz fact. After two days, on April 4, 1929, he died at his house in Ladenburg.
Conclusion
Benz is remembered for his genius inventions & his hard work to develop & market the first commercial automobile. I hope that this article on Karl Benz facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Historical People Facts Page!
