Daimler
Riemenwagen (belt-driven car), 2–8 hp

Why it matters

The Riemenwagen was the first car Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft built in series, with roughly 150 made between 1895 and 1899. A Riemenwagen became the world's first motorised taxi, and a 6 PS example was the first Daimler bought by Emil Jellinek, the man who later inspired the Mercedes name.

How rare is it?

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

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

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

History

Wilhelm Maybach designed the car for Gottlieb Daimler at DMG, and it went into production from 1895. Its rear-mounted Phönix two-cylinder engine drove the rear wheels through a belt transmission, which gave the car its name. Engines grew from 2 PS through 3, 4 and 6 PS, and a 2.2-litre version reached 7.5 to 8 PS; most cars had the 4 PS unit. Emil Jellinek took delivery of a 6 PS double phaeton in October 1897, and Daimler and Maybach used the type to test electric ignition, including a Bosch-equipped 8 PS car on a five-day Alpine trial.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

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

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Daimler belt-driven car, 1895 - 1899 Level A Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)

   • Altogether, around 150 units of the belt-driven car ... were produced
   • 2 hp version with 750 cc displacement ... 2.2-liter engine, with 7.5 - 8 hp
   • two jointly block-cast, parallel standing cylinders
   • a camshaft for controlling the exhaust valves
   • spray nozzle carburetor, the forefather of the modern carburetor
   • carriage-like automobile with a rear-mounted engine ... transmitted to the rear wheels by a belt system

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Die Daimler „Riemenwagen“ von 1895 bis 1899 (mbpassion.de, M. Jordan, 2024) Level C

   • 150 approx. total Riemenwagen built 1895–1899

   Accessed 2026-11-11
3. 3
   Die Daimler "Riemenwagen" von 1895 bis 1899 Level C Markus Jordan · mbpassion.de · 2024-12-27

   • im Heck angeordnet; zwei parallel stehende, in einem Block zusammengegossene Zylinder
   • 750 cm³ Hubraum (smallest version; up to a 2.2-litre engine)
   • mostly 4 PS; variants 2, 3, 4, 6 PS and 7.5–8 PS
   • über ein Riemengetriebe to the rear wheels

   Accessed 2026-11-11