The Story Of The First Car Ever Made

Design Of The Motorwagen

The Benz Patent Motorwagen was a great example of a new design. It was a three-wheeled car with an engine in the back. Most of it was made of steel tube and wooden panels. Benz himself built the wheels with steel spokes and rubber tires. A toothed rack that turned the front wheel controlled the steering. A belt system gave the vehicle a single-speed transmission. At the back, there were elliptic springs, and on both sides, there were chain drives and beam axles.

Fuelling The Motorwagen

Karn Benz may have patented his Motorwagen, but in 1886, Mannheim didn't have much access to combustible gasoline. The staff at Benz & Cie had to think quickly, so they naturally resorted to the crude base washing gasoline that was usually sold in pharmacies. This made pharmacies the first gas stations! It's important to remember that the initial Motorwagen didn't have a fuel tank. It was added to Models 2 and 3.