2002 Replica of the First Benz Car is for Sale

Giancarlo Perlas June 25, 2018

1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen replica made in 2002.

Mercedes-Benz is selling a replica of its first Benz car ever made. The copy, called the “Benz Patent Motorwagen Replika”, was made in 2002. The automobile was based on the original 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen.

Brief History of the Benz Patent Motorwagen

The three-wheeled Benz Patent Motorwagen was the first in the world to patent internal-combustion engine. The automobile was made in 1885 by Karl Benz.

According to Mercedes-Benz All Time Stars, the vehicle was patented on January 28, 1886, and its production ran from that same year up to 1893. Only 25 units of the automobile were built during its original production run.

Also in 1886, just 60 miles from Benz, Gottlieb Daimler patented a four-wheeled “horseless carriage” that ran on an internal-combustion engine. Both Daimler and Benz were unaware of each other’s work at that time. However, the two men would later serve as the pillars of Mercedes-Benz history.

2002 Benz Patent Motorwagen Specs

Back in 2002, Mercedes created a small reproduction series of the first Benz car. The units were commissioned for display purposes. Some of them can be found in the lobbies of Mercedes plants.

The listing of Mercedes for the Benz Patent Motorwagen Replika contains limited details. It only shows that it possesses a one-cylinder engine with top speed of 16 km/h, it is painted in black, and its seats are clad in leather.

The price of the first Benz car’s copy is only available upon the request of customers.