Karl Benz invented motorized vehicles
In order to provide a new source of income, Karl Benz started working on a two-stroke engine. Many components of the system, such as the throttle, ignition, spark plugs, carburetor, clutch, radiator, and gear change, had to be invented as he went along. He received his first patent in 1879.
He established Benz & Company in 1883 to manufacture industrial engines in Mannheim, Germany. On the basis of Nicolaus Otto's invention, he then started developing a motor carriage with a four-stroke engine. For the three-wheeled vehicle with electric ignition, differential gears, and water cooling, Benz designed the engine and the body.
The first vehicle was driven in Mannheim in 1885. During a test drive, it reached a speed of eight miles per hour. He started offering his gas-powered automobile for sale to the general public in July 1886 after acquiring a patent for it (DRP 37435). They were sold as the first commercially available automobiles by French bicycle manufacturer Emile Roger, who added them to his lineup of automobiles.
In 1891, Benz created the first four-wheeled automobile. By 1900, he had established Benz & Company, the largest automaker in the world. When the Grand Duke of Baden handed him the honour, he also became the first driver in history who had a legal license. The fact that he was able to accomplish these milestones despite coming from a poor upbringing is particularly impressive.
