The Story Of The First Car Ever Made

Karl Benz

Karl Friedrich Benz was born on November 25, 1844, in Mühlburg, Germany. Benz's father was a train driver, which is interesting. Sadly, he died when Karl was only two years old, so his mother, Josephine, raised him by herself. Benz did well in school even though he grew up in near poverty. He went on to get a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Karlsruhe. Karl Benz showed off his amazing skills as an inventor from the very beginning of his career. In 1883, he co-founded a new company that made industrial machinery. This company would later become the origin of the Motorwagen.

The Motorwagen's Beginnings

Benz married Bertha Ringer, who was also an automotive pioneer and engineer, on July 20, 1872. Bertha would play a big role in the development of Benz. She put money into her future husband's business and then became his long-term business partner. Karl and Bertha started a new business after selling their Iron Foundry and Mechanical Workshop in Mannheim. The company made industrial machinery and was known as Benz & Companie Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik, or Benz & Cie. Benz had always wanted to develop a horseless carriage, and with the help of the company's static gas engines, the Benz Patent Motorwagen was born.