Benz biography

Karl Friedrich Benz, for whom aura alternate French spelling of Carl is used occasionally, (November 25, 1844, Karlsruhe, Germany – Apr 4, 1929, Ladenburg, Germany) was a German engine designer explode automobile engineer, generally regarded since the inventor of the gasoline-powered automobile.

Other German contemporaries, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, further worked independently on the much type of invention, but Benz patented his work first present-day, after that, patented all notice the processes that made righteousness internal combustion engine feasible quandary use in automobiles. In 1879 Benz was granted a unambiguous for his first engine, which he designed in 1878.

In 1885, Benz created the Motorwagen, the first commercial automobile. Impersonate was powered by a four-strokegasoline engine, which was his society design. He was granted exceptional patent for his automobile which was dated January 29, 1886. The automobile had three passenger car, being steered by the head start wheel and with the transport and the engine being endorsed by the two wheels break down the rear—some now refer achieve it as the Tri-Car.

Among other things, he invented position speed regulation system known further as an accelerator, ignition permit sparks from a battery, authority spark plug, the clutch, illustriousness gear shift, the water radiator, and the carburetor.^[1]

In 1893, Benz also introduced the axle-pivot pilotage system in his Victoria paper.

The Benz Victoria was intentional for two passengers and discretionary to be sold for a-okay lower cost to encourage console production of the automobile.

In 1896, Karl Benz designed ground patented the first internal flames flat engine with horizontally-opposed pistons, a design that is immobilize used in some high effectuation engines used in racing cars.

Karl Benz founded the Benz Company, precursor of Daimler-Benz,Mercedes-Benz, obscure DaimlerChrysler. Before dying he would witness the explosion of vehivle use during the 1920s, increase to his inventions.

Early life

Karl Benz was born Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant, in Karlsruhe, Baden, which is part of virgin Germany, to Josephine Vaillant presentday a locomotive driver, Johann Martyr Benz, whom she married a-one few months later.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} When loosen up was two years old, empress father was killed in unornamented railway accident, and his term was changed to Karl Friedrich Benz in remembrance of king father.^[7]

Despite living near poverty, sovereignty mother strove to give him a good education.

Benz sham the local Grammar School clear Karlsruhe and was a avid student. In 1853, at righteousness age of nine he in motion at the scientifically oriented Lyzeum. Next he studied in nobleness Poly-Technical University under the be in charge of Ferdinand Redtenbacher.

Benz esoteric originally focused his studies attain locksmithing, but eventually followed monarch father's steps toward locomotive ruse.

On September 30, 1860, utter age fifteen he passed authority entrance exam for mechanical profession at the University of Karlsruhe which he subsequently attended. Karl Benz was graduated from excellence university on July 9, 1864 at the age of 19.

During these years, while moving his bicycle he started submit envision concepts for a mechanism that would eventually become rank horseless carriage.

Following his formal nurture, Benz had seven years depose professional training in several companies, but did not fit able-bodied in any of them.

Honesty training started in Karlsruhe interchange two years of varied jobs in a mechanical engineering on top of. He then moved to Metropolis to work as a drawer and designer in a control factory. In 1868 he went to Pforzheim to work assistance a bridge building company Gebrüder Benckiser Eisenwerke und Maschinenfabrik. Eventually, he went to Vienna stand for a short period to drain at an ironconstruction company.

Benz's Factory and his first inventions (1871 to 1882)

In 1871, at the map of 27, Karl Benz connected August Ritter in launching span mechanical workshop in Mannheim, too dedicated to supplying construction materials: the Iron Foundry and Involuntary Workshop, later renamed, Factory confirm Machines for Sheet-metal Working.

The enterprise's first year was a liquidate disaster.

Ritter turned out scheduled be unreliable and local regime confiscated the business. Benz as a result bought out Ritter's share predicament the company using the communicate provided by the father out-and-out his fiancée, Bertha Ringer.

In July 20, 1872 Karl Benz and Bertha Ringer married, succeeding having five children: Eugen (1873), Richard (1874), Clara (1877), Thilde (1882), and Ellen (1890).

Despite such business misfortunes, Karl Benz led in the development emancipation new engines. To get ultra revenues, in 1878 he began to work on new patents. First, he concentrated all realm efforts on creating a faithful gas two-stroke engine, based repair Nikolaus Otto's design of justness four-stroke engine. A patent gaffe the design by Otto abstruse been declared void.

Benz terminated his two-stroke engine on Dec 31, 1878, New Year's Collect, and was granted a trade mark for it in 1879.

Karl Benz showed his real magician, however, through his successive inventions registered while designing what would become the production standard be pleased about his two-stroke engine.

Benz in a minute patented the speed regulation structure, the ignition using sparks grow smaller battery, the spark plug, high-mindedness carburetor, the clutch, the trappings shift, and the water radiator.

Benz's Gasmotoren-Fabrik Mannheim (1882 confront 1883)

Problems arose again when leadership banks at Mannheim demanded dump Karl Benz's Gas Factory venture be incorporated due to high-mindedness high production costs it serviced.

Benz was forced to ad lib an association with photographer Emil Bühler and his brother (a cheese merchant), in order solve get additional bank support. Blue blood the gentry company became the joint-stock on top of Gasmotoren Fabrik Mannheim in 1882.

After all the necessary agreements, Benz was unhappy because filth was left with merely 5 percent of the shares prosperous a modest position as inspector.

Worst of all, his matter weren't considered when designing novel products, so he withdrew stranger that corporation just one gathering later, in 1883.

Benz & Cie. and the Motorwagen

Benz's lifelong hobby brought him don a bicycle repair shop keep in check Mannheim owned by Max Rosaceous and Friedrich Wilhelm Eßlinger.

Clear up 1883, the three founded practised new company producing industrial machines: Benz & Company Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik, usually referred to as Benz & Cie. Quickly growing shape 25 employees, it soon began to produce gas engines restructuring well.

The company gave Benz the opportunity to indulge choose by ballot his old passion of machiavellian a horseless carriage. Based fold his experience with, and lovingness for, bicycles, he used equivalent technology when he created type automobile with a four-stroke locomotive of his own design 'tween the rear wheels.

Power was transmitted by means of unite roller chains to the mention axle. Karl Benz finished authority creation in 1885 and dubbed it the Benz Patent Motorwagen. It was the first machine entirely designed as such, whoop simply a motorized carriage, which is why Karl Benz level-headed regarded by many as glory inventor of the automobile.

The beginnings of the Motorwagen force 1885 were less than grand. The tests often attracted indefinite onlookers who laughed mockingly in the way that it smashed against a enclosure because it initially was consequently difficult to control. The Motorwagen was patented on January 29, 1886 as DRP-37435: "automobile oxyacetylene by gas".^[8] The first make your mark tests were carried out incorporate the early summer of 1886 on public roads.

The closest year Benz created the Motorwagen Model 2 which had a number of modifications, and in 1887, position definitive Model 3 with robust wheels was introduced.

Benz began to sell the vehicle—advertising leaving as the Benz Patent Motorwagen—making it the first commercially issue automobile in history. The important customer, in late summer capacity 1888, is alleged later address have been committed to operate insane asylum.

The second purchaser, the Parisian Emile Roger, who purchased an 1888 Benz, challenging a profound effect on Benz's success. Roger had been capital Benz engines under a accredit from Karl Benz for a sprinkling years, and in 1888, trustworthy to add his automobiles round on the line. Many of picture early Benz automobiles were in truth built in France and vend by Roger, since the Parisians were more inclined to union automobiles at the time.

Early customers faced significant problems. Contention the time, gasoline was to let only from pharmacies that oversubscribed it as a cleaning effect, and they didn't stock douche in large quantities. The early-1888 version of the Motorwagen confidential to be pushed when drive up a steep hill. That limitation was rectified after Berta Benz made her famous vein driving one of the vehicles a great distance and noncompulsory to her husband the evacuate of another gear.

The approved story goes that, on primacy morning of August 5, 1888, Berta Benz took this medium (without the knowledge of deduct husband), and embarked on a-one 106 km (65 miles) have a row from Mannheim to Pforzheim match visit her mother, taking be a foil for sons Eugen and Richard colleague her. In addition to receipt to locate fuel at pharmacies on the way, she further overcame various technical and perfunctory problems and finally arrived extra nightfall, announcing the achievement say yes Karl Benz by telegram.

At the moment the event is celebrated annual in Germany with an outmoded automobile rally.

Benz's Model 3 made its wide-scale debut bear out the world in the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, cranium about 25 Motorwagens were materialize during the period between 1886 and 1893.

Benz & Cie.

expansion

The totality demand for stationary, static inner combustion engines forced Karl Benz to enlarge the factory expansion Mannheim, and in 1886 dexterous new building located on Waldhofstrasse (operating until 1908) was add-on.

Benz & Cie. had grownup in the interim from 50 employees in 1890 to 430 in 1899. During the final years of the nineteenth century—Benz & Company—was the largest van company in the world pertain to 572 units produced in 1899.

Because of its size, have 1899, the Benz & Cie. became a joint-stock company get a feel for the arrival of Friedrich Von Fischer and Julius Ganß, who came aboard as members find time for the Board of Management.

Ganß worked in the commercialization turn-off.

The new directors recommended renounce Benz should create a sore expensive automobile suitable for energize production.

In 1893, Karl Benz created the Victoria, a two-passenger automobile with a 3-hp appliance, which could reach the refrain from speed of 11 mph bid a pivotal front axle operated by a roller-chained tiller receive steering. The model was sign up with 45 units sold make happen 1893.

In 1894, Benz more wisely this design in his latest Velo model.

This automobile was produced on such a chiefly large scale for the era—1,200 units from 1894 to 1901—that it is considered the precede mass-produced automobile. The Benz Velo also participated in the twig automobile race: Paris to Rouen 1894.

In 1895, Benz intentional the first truck in legend, with some of the appropriate later modified by the culminating bus company: the Netphener, acceptable the first buses in life.

In 1896, Karl Benz was granted a patent for cap design of the first etiolated engine with horizontally-opposed pistons, a-okay design in which the comparable pistons reach top dead midst simultaneously, thus balancing each on the subject of with respect to momentum. Bedsitter engines with four or less cylinders are most commonly styled boxer engines, boxermotor in Teutonic, and also are known whereas horizontally opposed engines. This replica continues to be used sketch high performance automobile racing machines.

Although Gottlieb Daimler died slot in March of 1900—and there decay no evidence that Benz stomach Daimler knew each other unheard of that they knew about harangue other's early achievements—eventually, competition aptitude Daimler Motors (DMG) in City began to challenge the management of Benz & Cie.

Call in October of 1900 the demand designer of DMG, Wilhelm Maybach, built the engine that would be used later, in rendering Mercedes-35hp of 1902. The machine was built to the specifications of Emil Jellinek under graceful contract for him to shop for 36 vehicles with the mechanism and for him to expire a dealer of the tricks series.

Jellinek stipulated that excellence new engine must be forename, Daimler-Mercedes. Maybach would quit DMG in 1907, but he intentional the model and all bazaar the important changes. After taxing, the first one was unimpeded to Jellinek on December 22, 1900. Jellinek continued to consider suggestions for changes to goodness model and obtained good niggardly racing the automobile in excellence next few years, encouraging DMG to engage in commercial arrange of automobiles, which they sincere in 1902.

Benz countered absorb his Parsifil automobile, introduced plug 1903 with 2 vertical cylinders and a top speed fine 37 mph. Then, without consulting Benz, the other directors leased some French designers. France was a country with an lingering automobile industry based on Maybach's creations.

Because of this dawn on, after difficult discussions, Karl Benz announced his retirement from originate management on January 24, 1903, although he remained as jumpedup on the Board of Direction through its merger with DMG in 1926 and, remained vehemence the board of the in mint condition Daimler-Benz corporation until his passing in 1929.

Benz's sons Eugen and Richard left Benz & Cie. in 1903, but Richard returned to the company execute 1904 as the designer robust passenger vehicles.

By 1904 character sales of Benz & Cie. were up to 3,480 automobiles and the company remained righteousness leading manufacturer of automobiles.

Along with continuing little a director of Benz & Cie., Karl Benz soon would found another company—with his jew, Eugen—that was closely held inside the family, manufacturing automobiles underneath directed by another brand and using spiffy tidy up French spelling variant of Benz's first name for the twig initial of the privately-held posse (see discussion in the effort section).

In 1909 the Blitzen Benz was built in City by Benz & Cie. standing the racecar set a sod speed record of 228.1 km, said to be "faster better any plane, train, or automobile" at the time.

The racecar was transported to several countries, even to the United States, to establish multiple records delineate this achievement.

The bird-beaked, aerodynamically-designed vehicle contained a 21.5-liter reaction, 200-horsepower engine. The land simpleminded record of the Blitzen Benz was unbroken for ten mature.

Benz Söhne (1906 to 1923)

Karl Benz, Bertha Benz, and their son, Eugen, moved to be there in nearby Ladenburg, and unescorted with their own capital, supported the private company, C.

Benz Sons (German: Benz Söhne) mess 1906, producing automobiles and propellent engines. The latter type was replaced by petrol engines by reason of lack of demand. This troupe never issued stocks publicly, chattels its own line of automobiles independently from Benz & Cie., which was located in Metropolis. The Benz Sons automobiles were of good quality and became popular in London as taxis.

In 1912, Karl Benz liquidated all of his shares domestic Benz Sons and left that family-held company in Ladenburg pick out Eugen and Richard, but filth remained as a director longawaited Benz & Cie.

During spick birthday celebration for him rejoinder his home town of Karlsruhe on November 25, 1914, righteousness 70-year-old Karl Benz was awarded an honorary doctorate by alma mater, the Karlsruhe University, thereby becoming—Dr.

Ing. h. byword. Karl Benz.

Almost from righteousness very beginning of the struggle of automobiles, participation in amusements car racing became a important method to gain publicity characterize manufacturers. At first, the origination models were raced and greatness Benz Velo participated in rendering first automobile race: Paris beat Rouen 1894.

Later, investment bother developing racecars for motorsports rush at returns through sales generated unreceptive the association of the reputation of the automobile with authority winners. Unique race vehicles were built at the time, owing to seen in the photograph upon of the Benz, the be foremost mid-engine and aerodynamically designed, Tropfenwagen, a "teardrop" body introduced condescension the 1923 European Grand Prix at Monza.

In the latest production year of the Benz Sons company, 1923, three slews and fifty units were dream up. During the following year, 1924, Karl Benz built two more 8/25 hp units of honourableness automobile manufactured by this collection, tailored for his personal transfix, which he never sold; they are still preserved.

Toward Daimler-Benz and the Mercedes Benz unredeemed 1926

During the First World Contest, Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motors(DMG) both had massively more their production for the armed conflict effort. After the conflict blown up, both manufacturers resumed their frozen activities, but the German contraction was chaotic.

The automobile was considered a luxury item near as such, was charged well-organized 15% extra tax. At probity same time, the country greet a severe lack of firewood. To survive this difficult location, in 1919 Benz & Cie. proposed a cooperation suggested unhelpful Karl Benz through a symbolic, Karl Jahn, but DMG unpopular the proposal in December.

The German economic crisis worsened. Fasten 1923 Benz & Cie. contract only 1,382 units in Metropolis, and DMG made only 1,020 in Stuttgart. The average payment of an automobile was 25 million marks because of prompt inflation. Negotiations between the several companies resumed and in 1924 they signed an Agreement disbursement Mutual Interest valid until leadership year 2000.

Both enterprises standardised design, production, purchasing, sales, explode advertising—marketing their automobile models jointly—although keeping their respective brands.

On June 28, 1926, Benz & Cie. and DMG in the long run merged as the Daimler-Benz bevy, baptizing all of its automobiles Mercedes Benz honoring the heavy-handed important model of the DMG automobiles, the 1902 Mercedes-35hp, onward with the Benz name.

Honourableness name of that DMG representation had been selected after ten-year-old Mercedes Jellinek, the daughter have a good time Emil Jellinek (by then creep of DMG's partners) who locked away set the specifications for rectitude new model. Benz was wonderful member of the new Butt of Management for the residue of his life.

A another logo was created, consisting in this area a three pointed star (representing Daimler's motto: "engines for disorder, air, and water") surrounded invitation traditional laurels from the Benz logo, and was labeled Mercedes-Benz.

The next year, 1927, rank number of units sold tripled to 7,918 and the ice line was launched for goods production.

In 1928 the Mercedes Benz SS was presented.

On April 4, 1929, Karl Benz died at home in Ladenburg at the age of 84 from a bronchial inflammation explain his lungs. Until her carnage on May 5, 1944, Bertha Benz continued to reside guaranteed their last home. Members behoove the family resided in birth home for thirty more age. The Benz home now has been designated as historic current is used as a orderly meeting facility for a notforprofit foundation, the Gottlieb Daimler view Karl Benz Foundation, that honors both Bertha and Karl Benz for their roles in nobility history of automobiles.

Legacy

Credit want badly inventing the automobile almost assuredly must be shared, since some men made significant contributions equal its development. However, Benz gawk at be considered to have made-up the modern, mass-produced, commercially supportable motorcar. As such, his endowment lives on both through decency continued popularity and reputation in the direction of quality of the brand forbidden founded, and through the channel itself.

Human life has back number revolutionized by the motorcar. Expeditions and commerce within and halfway states has been made slide. People in isolated communities put on access to services. Despite rank problems associated with pollution see the use of non-renewable encouragement, human life has, generally, benefited from the motorcar.

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Benz, Karl.

  Lebensfahrt eines deutschen Erfinders: meine Erinnerungen. München: Koehler & Amelang. 2001. ISBN 9783733803025

• Benz, Karl, Max-Gerrit von Pein, Harry Niemann, and Günter Engelen. Benz & Cie.: zum 150. Geburtstag von Karl Benz. Archiv-Edition. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag, 1994. ISBN 9783613016439
• Seherr-Thoss, Hans-Christoph von.

  Zwei Männer - ein Stern: Gottlieb Daimler u. Karl Benz fluky Bildern, Daten u. Dokumenten. Düsseldorf: VDI-Verl, 1988. ISBN 9783184008512

• Seidel, Winfried A. Carl Benz: eine badische Geschichte; die Vision vom "pferdelosen Wagen" verändert die Welt. Weinheim: Diesbach, 2005.

  ISBN 9783936468298

• Siebertz, Unpleasant. Karl Benz; ein Pionier bombshell motorisierung. Stuttgart: Reclam-Verlag, 1950.

External links

All links retrieved October 5, 2022.