Karl Benz was just twenty years old when he graduated from Karlsruhe Polytechnic engineering college, and before he was thirty he developed a successful two-stroke gasoline-powered single-piston engine. His first automobile design was the three-wheeled two-seater Motorwagen with innovative electric spark ignition and a manual clutch coupling between the engine and drive mechanism. It was as rudimentary as rudimentary transportation gets by today’s standards, but it was an immediate endurance champion, capable of lengthy journeys up to 66 miles. Mercedes-Benz commissioned around 90 replicas of the original Benz in 2001, and this is your opportunity to own one of them.
The Benz Patent Motorwagen is widely regarded as the first practical self-propelled motor vehicle. It is estimated that twenty-five of the original motorwagens were built between 1886 and 1893. To commemorate the icon of history, Mercedes-Benz Classic worked with John Bentley Engineering to develop a run of exact replicas. The replicas outnumber the originals threefold, so it’s much more likely you’ll find one of the 2001-built editions than you will an authentic 138-year-old survivor. That said, it would still be cool to have this piece of vintage engineering in your collection, wouldn’t it?
While Benz was known for his two-stroke engines initially, this model featured a 954cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine positioned horizontally, which made an astonishing 0.75 horsepower at a mind-blowing 400 rpm. This particular example, like many of the replicas, has never been run. The seller is a former Mercedes-Benz dealership owner, and it has been in his possession since new. They claim in the listing that the engine has been regularly oiled to keep everything moving, and the vehicle has been stored inside since the day it arrived.
If you just can’t live without this odd piece of automotive history, it’s available on eBay right now with a Buy It Now price of $50,000. These don’t sell often, but lucky for you there’s a recent comp, as Bonhams sold one at its London sale in November for just £33,350 (about $42,300 at current exchange rates), so maybe that’s an opportunity for you to haggle a little bit with this stateside seller. Good luck!
