Gregory Tuytens
Head of Sale, Belgium
LOT 176
1896 Benz Velo Patent Motor-Wagen n°IV2I Engine no. 1521
Estimate: €170,000 - €250,000
Lot 176
Offered from a Belgian collection
1896 Benz Velo Patent Motor-Wagen n°IV2I
1896 Benz Velo Patent Motor-Wagen n°IV2I
1896 Benz Velo Patent Motor-Wagen n°IV2I
Engine no. 1521
Engine no. 1521
• Historically significant early motorcar
• A rare survivor
• London to Brighton eligible
• Largely original
Karl (also known as Carl) Friedrich Benz was born on 25th November 1844 in Muhlburg (now Karlsruhe), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Benz enrolled at Karlsruhe Polytechnic when he was 15 years old and graduated in 1864 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
After developing a successful gasoline-powered engine in 1873, Benz focused on developing a motorised vehicle. Following disputes, he split with his business partners in 1883 and in 1885 founded Benz & Cie, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik in Mannheim with new backers. The business initially focused on stationary engines but Benz continued pursuing his dream of creating a motorcar.
In 1885 Benz built a motorcar whose internal combustion engine was powered by gasoline. Benz's three-wheeled automobile, which he called the Motorwagen, could carry two passengers. Prior to building this car, Benz had invented several of its key components: electric ignition, spark plugs, and clutch.
Contemporaneously other inventors were trying to build or had already constructed their own versions of a 'horseless carriage', but Benz's work stood out because his car was constructed around its engine, as opposed to the approach of simply adding an engine to an existing cart or carriage. Benz was granted patent number '37435' for his automobile on 29th January 1886.
It was Benz's wife Bertha who demonstrated the feasibility of his vehicle as a mode of transportation when she took it on a 66-mile drive in August 1888. Bertha made the eight-miles-per-hour journey, accompanied by her two older children, in Model No. 3 of her husband's invention. Her actions garnered positive publicity for the motorcar, although Benz himself only learned of his wife's plans after she had reached her destination!
By the turn of the 20th century Benz was producing the popular Velo, among other models, sales of which outstripped those of its major European competitors. The Velo was to become the first series-produced car and was manufactured in different versions from 1894 until 1902, by which time some 1,200 had been made. This model made Benz the largest motor manufacturer in the world in 1898, by which time it had sold 1,600 cars. The basic Benz design was to influence car production for some 12 years from 1888 to 1900, until the arrival of the new Système Panhard and De Dion-Bouton's fast revving vertical engines sounded its death knell.
The Velo we offer is one of 181 cars of all types built by Benz in 1896. The collection's late owner purchased this Benz in the 1980s and had it registered for the 1995 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, since when it has been on static display. Its earlier history is not known. Beautifully presented, the Benz is believed largely original mechanically while the body/woodwork has been restored. There is no registration document with this lot.
Please note that this vehicle is offered without any original registration documents, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction. Please contact the department for further information.
• A rare survivor
• London to Brighton eligible
• Largely original
Karl (also known as Carl) Friedrich Benz was born on 25th November 1844 in Muhlburg (now Karlsruhe), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Benz enrolled at Karlsruhe Polytechnic when he was 15 years old and graduated in 1864 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
After developing a successful gasoline-powered engine in 1873, Benz focused on developing a motorised vehicle. Following disputes, he split with his business partners in 1883 and in 1885 founded Benz & Cie, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik in Mannheim with new backers. The business initially focused on stationary engines but Benz continued pursuing his dream of creating a motorcar.
In 1885 Benz built a motorcar whose internal combustion engine was powered by gasoline. Benz's three-wheeled automobile, which he called the Motorwagen, could carry two passengers. Prior to building this car, Benz had invented several of its key components: electric ignition, spark plugs, and clutch.
Contemporaneously other inventors were trying to build or had already constructed their own versions of a 'horseless carriage', but Benz's work stood out because his car was constructed around its engine, as opposed to the approach of simply adding an engine to an existing cart or carriage. Benz was granted patent number '37435' for his automobile on 29th January 1886.
It was Benz's wife Bertha who demonstrated the feasibility of his vehicle as a mode of transportation when she took it on a 66-mile drive in August 1888. Bertha made the eight-miles-per-hour journey, accompanied by her two older children, in Model No. 3 of her husband's invention. Her actions garnered positive publicity for the motorcar, although Benz himself only learned of his wife's plans after she had reached her destination!
By the turn of the 20th century Benz was producing the popular Velo, among other models, sales of which outstripped those of its major European competitors. The Velo was to become the first series-produced car and was manufactured in different versions from 1894 until 1902, by which time some 1,200 had been made. This model made Benz the largest motor manufacturer in the world in 1898, by which time it had sold 1,600 cars. The basic Benz design was to influence car production for some 12 years from 1888 to 1900, until the arrival of the new Système Panhard and De Dion-Bouton's fast revving vertical engines sounded its death knell.
The Velo we offer is one of 181 cars of all types built by Benz in 1896. The collection's late owner purchased this Benz in the 1980s and had it registered for the 1995 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, since when it has been on static display. Its earlier history is not known. Beautifully presented, the Benz is believed largely original mechanically while the body/woodwork has been restored. There is no registration document with this lot.
Please note that this vehicle is offered without any original registration documents, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction. Please contact the department for further information.
Footnotes
Issue d'une collection belge
1896 Benz Velo Patent Motor-Wagen
no. IV2I
Moteur n° 1521
• Voiture à moteur d'entre les premières, d'un considérable intérêt historique
• Rare survivante
• Eligible au Londres-Brighton
• En grande partie d'origine
Karl (ou Carl) Friedrich Benz naquit le 25 novembre 1844 en Allemagne à Muhlburg (désormais Karlsruhe), dans le Bade-Wurtemberg. Il entra à l'âge de 15 ans à l'Ecole polytechnique de Karlsruhe et en ressortit en 1864 nanti d'un diplôme d'ingénieur en mécanique.
Après avoir mis au point avec succès en 1873 un moteur à essence, il se consacra au développement d'un véhicule motorisé. En 1883, à la suite d'un désaccord, il se sépara de ses associés et, en 1885, il fonda à Mannheim avec de nouveaux commanditaires la Benz & Cie, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik. Celle-ci se consacra dans un premier temps aux moteurs stationnaires, mais Benz n'abandonna pas son rêve de créer une voiture motorisée.
En 1885, il en construisit une dont le moteur à combustion interne était alimenté à l'essence. Son automobile à trois roues, qu'il appela la Motorwagen, pouvait transporter deux personnes. Avant de la construire, Benz en avait inventé plusieurs des composants-clés : l'allumage électrique, les bougies et l'embrayage.
A la même époque, d'autres inventeurs essayaient aussi de construire, ou avaient déjà construit, leur propre version de voiture sans cheval, mais celle de Benz se distinguait par le fait que la voiture était construite autour de son moteur, contrairement à l'approche consistant à se borner à ajouter un moteur à une carriole ou un chariot existants. Benz reçut le 29 janvier 1886 le brevet n° 37435 pour son automobile.
Ce fut son épouse Bertha qui démontra en août 1888 que cette voiture pouvait servir de moyen de transport, en effectuant avec un trajet de 106 km. Elle le fit, accompagnée des deux aînés de leurs enfants, sur la Model n° 3 inventée par son mari, à la moyenne de 13 km/h. Son exploit valut une publicité favorable à l'automobile, alors même que Benz n'eut connaissance du projet de son épouse qu'une fois celle-ci parvenue à destination !
Au tournant du XXe siècle, Benz produisait entre autres modèles la populaire Velo, dont les ventes devancèrent celles de ses principaux concurrents européens. La Velo devait devenir la première voiture construite en série ; elle fut produite de 1894 à 1902 en différentes versions, dont le total atteignit 1 200 exemplaires. Ce modèle fit de Benz en 1898 le premier constructeur automobile mondial, alors qu'il avait vendu un total de 1 600 voitures. Les principes de conception de Benz devaient influencer la production automobile pendant quelque 12 années, avant que l'arrivée des moteurs verticaux rapides de Panhard et De Dion-Bouton n'en sonne le glas.
La Velo proposée est l'une des 181 voitures, tous types confondus, construites par Benz en 1896. Son dernier propriétaire, un collectionneur décédé, l'avait achetée dans les années 1980 et l'avait inscrite au Londres-Brighton de 1995 ; elle est restée, depuis, en exposition statique. Cette Benz d'un magnifique aspect est considérée comme en grande partie d'origine, mais sa carrosserie et ses boiseries ont été restaurées. Aucun document d'immatriculation n'accompagne ce lot.
Notez que ce véhicule n'est pas vendu avec ses papiers d'immatriculation originaux et que les enchérisseurs devront s'occuper eux-mêmes des démarches auprès de leur juridiction pour l'immatriculer. Vous pouvez contacter notre département pour plus d'information.
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