Benz Patent-Motorwagen No. 1
Three wheels, one cylinder, and a purpose-built machine that helped start the age of the motor car.
1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen (29744182207).jpg · Sicnag · CC BY 2.0
More than a set of wheels.
Carl Benz completed this two-seater in 1885 and applied for its patent on January 29, 1886. Engine and chassis were designed together. The three-wheeler had a tubular steel frame, wire-spoked wheels and a compact engine at the rear. Benz publicly demonstrated the No. 1 in Mannheim in July 1886. Its importance lies in making a workable gasoline-powered car, rather than in looking like the cars we know today.
Look a little closer.
Bertha Benz’s famous 1888 journey used an improved Model III—not the original No. 1 described here.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A patent is a clue to an invention
The patent number is DRP 37435. It was filed on January 29, 1886. The document records the invention, while the public demonstration followed later that year. Separating construction, patent and demonstration dates helps us tell the history accurately.
Source: Mercedes-Benz · patent and first public drive ↗The journey that proved the idea
In August 1888, Bertha Benz took her sons Eugen and Richard from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back in the improved Model III. Their trip demonstrated that a motor vehicle could make a useful journey. Its later engine and equipment should not be mixed into the No. 1 specifications.
Source: Mercedes-Benz · Bertha Benz and Model III ↗Why this photograph says replica
The gallery shows a reproduction photographed at the Petersen Automotive Museum. It helps us see the open seat, three wheels and exposed mechanisms, but it is not the surviving original built by Carl Benz. A replica is useful evidence of appearance when clearly labeled.
Source: Sicnag · Petersen Museum replica photograph ↗Where these facts come from
- Mercedes-Benz Group · construction, engine and patent history
- Mercedes-Benz Austria · 954 cc, power, speed and Model III distinction
- Original 1886 patent · public-domain document
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.