Rare Car Archive

Makes › Benz Germany › Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (original) · Historically significant · 1886

Benz
Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (original)

The original first patented automobile (DRP 37435); only the original, not the many replicas

Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (original) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (original) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: DaimlerChrysler AG · CC BY-SA 3.0
1BuiltFactory reported
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
1 Built
Years
1886
Engine
Rear, horizontal single cylinder; horizontal flywheel · 954 cc / 1.0 LFactory: 954 cc
Power
0.559 kW / 0.76 PSFactory: 0.75 hp · converted
Top speed
16 km/hFactory: 16 km/h
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Carl Benz
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

Carl Benz designed this three-wheeler in 1885 and patented it as a "vehicle with gas-engine drive" on 29 January 1886 (patent no. 37435). The archive describes it as the archetype of every later automobile, built from scratch with its own engine, ignition, cooling, gearbox, wheels and brakes.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityNot yet assessed
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityOne-off 1 · Built1,2
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionIndividual car: Deutsches Museum inv. 4710 'Benz-Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1', catalogued with Identity: Original (the car for which Benz received the patent in January 1886) 11,2 Factory production Factory reported

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Benz worked in secret and at first drove only at night near his Mannheim factory. After the patent was granted he made his first public drive on Sunday 3 July 1886 around the old ramparts of Mannheim, with his son Eugen running alongside carrying a bottle of petrol. The archive lists Model 1 as an experimental car that was not for sale.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (original).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutRear, horizontal single cylinder; horizontal flywheel1
Cylinders11
Displacement 954 cc / 1.0 LFactory: 954 cc1
Bore 90 mmFactory: 90 mm1
Stroke 150 mmFactory: 150 mm1
Compression ratio2.71
Fuel systemBenz surface carburettor1
Power 0.559 kW / 0.76 PSFactory: 0.75 hp · converted1Rating: manufacturer
Power at 400 rpm1
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxFlat belt between loose and fixed pulley, chain to each rear wheel1
Gears11
Final drivechain drive 10:251
Driven wheelsrear1

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisSteel-tube frame1
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionRigid axle, full-elliptic springs; no front springs1
BrakesBand brake on countershaft belt pulley; no foot brake1
SteeringRack-and-pinion, steering crank in centre of vehicle1
Body constructionNot yet verified
Wheelbase 1,450 mmFactory: 1,450 mm1
Length 2,700 mmFactory: 2,700 mm1
Width 1,400 mmFactory: 1,400 mm1
Height 1,450 mmFactory: 1,450 mm1
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear track 1,190 mmFactory: 1,190 mm1
Kerb weight 265 kgFactory: 265 kg1
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 16 km/hFactory: 16 km/h1
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Archive data for Model 1: single horizontal cylinder of 90 x 150 mm (954 cc) with horizontal flywheel and surface carburettor; steel-tube frame; wire-spoke wheels (front 730 mm, rear 1125 mm) with solid-rubber tyres; one forward gear via a belt shifted between loose and fixed pulleys; chain drive 10:25; no foot brake, a band brake on the countershaft pulley; rack-and-pinion steering. The later Model 3 differs, for example in its 1575 mm wheelbase and wooden-spoke wheels.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Benz patent motor car (Model 1), 1885 - 1886 Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)
    • Units produced : 1
    • Configuration : rear, horizontal (Specifications)
    • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 1 / horizontal (Specifications)
    • Total displacement : 954 cc (Specifications)
    • Bore x Stroke : 90 x 150 mm (Specifications)
    • Compression ratio : 2.7 (Specifications)
    • Fuel system : Benz surface carburettor (Specifications)
    • Rated output : 0.75 hp at 400 rpm (Specifications)
    • Transmission type : loose- and fixed-pulley set (Specifications)
    • Gearing : 1 forward gear, no reverse gear (Specifications)
    • Final drive ratio : chain drive 10:25 (Specifications)
    • Driven wheels : rear wheels (Specifications)
    • Frame design : steel-tube frame (Specifications)
    • Rear springs : full-elliptic springs (Specifications)
    • Parking brake (hand brake) : band brake (Specifications)
    • Steering : rack-and-pinion steering (Specifications)
    • Wheelbase : 1450 mm (Specifications)
    • Length : 2700 mm (Specifications)
    • Width : 1400 mm (Specifications)
    • Height : 1450 mm (Specifications)
    • Front / rear track : rear 1190 mm (Specifications)
    • Kerb weight : 265 kg (Specifications)
    • Maximum speed : 16 km/h (Specifications)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    Deutsches Museum Digital – Benz-Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1 (inv. 4710) Level B
    • 1 Individual car: Deutsches Museum inv. 4710 'Benz-Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1', catalogued with Identity: Original (the car for which Benz received the patent in January 1886)
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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