Benz, Karl (Friedrich)


Benz, Karl (Friedrich)

biographical name

(born Nov. 25, 1844, Karlsruhe, Baden—died April 4, 1929, Ladenburg, Ger.) German mechanical engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. The original car, his three-wheeled Motorwagen, first ran in 1885. Benz's company produced its first four-wheeled car in 1893 and the first of its series of racing cars in 1899. Benz left the company in 1906 to form another group with his sons. In 1926 the Benz company merged with the company started by Gottlieb Daimler.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on Benz, Karl (Friedrich), visit Britannica.com.

Seen & Heard

What made you look up Benz, Karl (Friedrich)? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.

Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Get Our Free Apps
Voice Search, Favorites,
Word of the Day, and More
Join Us on FB & Twitter
Get the Word of the Day and More