Patent Motorwagen

automobile

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Last updated

July 17, 2026

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The Patent-Motorwagen, designed by Karl Benz, is widely recognized as the world's first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. Benz built the three-wheeled vehicle in 1885, and it was patented in 1886. His wife, Bertha Benz, played a crucial role by providing financial support and undertaking the first long-distance automobile journey in 1888, proving the vehicle's viability and suggesting key improvements like brake pads and a lower gear. The Benz company later merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft to form Daimler-Benz, the maker of Mercedes-Benz automobiles.12

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Bertha Benz
Invention of the Patent-Motorwagen
Benz struggled to market his Patent-Motorwagen, but his wife knew the value of the invention. During the application process, she could not legally apply for the patent alongside her husband despite her financial and practical engineering contributions.
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Benz struggled to market his Patent-Motorwagen, but his wife knew the value of the invention. During the application process, she could not legally apply for the patent alongside her husband despite her financial and practical engineering contributions.
Read More