1900 Mercedes-Benz 1886 Patent Wagon Convertible

"On January 29th, 1886, Karl Benz patented the first automobile - the three-wheeled Patent-Motorwagen. Later in the same year, just 60 miles away, Gottlieb Daimler patented an internal-combustion engine and began construction of a four-wheeled horseless carriage. At the time, neither man knew of the other's work. The lightweight Patent-Motorwagen's three-wheeled design seems foreign to us now, but to Karl Benz the design was much more logical than that of a four-wheeled carriage. Benz built the first automobile with a frame of steel tubes, believing that a three-wheeler would be less complicated, lighter and easier to steer than the typical four-wheeled carriage. The rear axle was supported by a full-leaf spring suspension, while the front wheel turned on a solidly mounted axle. The driver started the engine by spinning a flywheel by hand, and adjusted fuel flow with a handle under the driver's seat. The driver steered with a tiller and controlled the brakes with a large lever on the left side. Powered by a water-cooled, single-cylinder, rear-mounted engine, the Patent-Motorwagen could reach a top speed of approximately 10 mph and had an engine output of approximately 0.75 hp at 400 rpm. The first long-distance trip by car occurred in August 1888 when - frustrated with her husband's constant refinement of the automobile - Bertha Benz, along with her children Richard and Eugen, drove the Benz three-wheeler 50 miles from Mannheim to Pforzheim. After a day-long journey - and the discovery that the Benz couldn't travel uphill - the three arrived safely at their destination. Bertha Benz's journey resulted in a few more refinements to the three-wheeler, including the addition of a low gear that enabled it to climb hills. The three-wheel design prevailed until Benz introduced the Viktoria in 1893. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center is proud to present the replica Benz three-wheeler, built with the care and craftsmanship that Karl Benz bestowed on the original in 1886. There were two runs of reprductions, the first in 1986 and the second in 2003. This model is from the second run and was displayed in a Mercedes showroom from 2003-2008."