The Benz Patent-Motorwagen No. 1, patented in 1886, is believed to be the first car to be powered by an internal combustion engine. It is an invention of Karl Benz, a German engineer and car manufacturer, and is considered a milestone in the history of the automotive industry.

Here are some key features of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1:

Drive system: The railcar was equipped with a single-cylinder four-stroke engine, which was powered by gasoline. The engine had a displacement of 954 cc and produced approximately 0.75 hp (0.55 kW) of power.

Three Wheels: The chariot had a three-wheel design, with two small wheels at the front and a larger wheel at the back.

Running on gas: The vehicle used a gas-operated intake valve to regulate the fuel-air mixture in the cylinder and a water-cooled exhaust system to vent the combustion gases.

Four-speed transmission: The engine was mated to a four-speed transmission that had to be operated manually.

Wooden chassis: The chassis of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 was made of wood, with a simple design and no bodywork.

Maximum speed: The car had a maximum speed of about 16 km/h, which was a remarkable achievement at the time.

On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz obtained German patent number 37435 for his "vehicle with gas engine operation". This is generally recognized as the date of birth of the automobile. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen No. 1 was produced that same year and was one of the first successful attempts to create a practical motorized vehicle.

Karl Benz's invention marked the beginning of a revolution in transport and mobility. It laid the foundations for the development of modern cars and shaped the rise of the automotive industry as we know it today. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen is an iconic vehicle that has played an invaluable role in the history of the automobile.

Source: chatGPT