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Benz & Cie.
1871. The early days in Mannheim.
In 1871, at the age of 27, Karl Benz got together with a partner August Ritter in Mannheim to form his first company, the "Iron Foundry and Machine Shop". Not long after, the two partners went their separate ways and Karl Benz started a company of his own.
1879. The first patents.
By 1879/80, eight years after his company was founded, Karl Benz had developed his first working two-stroke engine. He took out his first patents on it, in France and England.
1883. The dream of the motor car.
Encouraged by the success of his stationary engines, Karl Benz founded "Benz & Co., Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik" and began designing a self-propelled motor vehicle.
1886. The first motor car.
On January 29, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin granted Karl Benz German Patent No. 37435 for the world's first motor car. Its 0.7 hp engine was mounted horizontally at the rear of a three-wheeler carriage. The motor car was born. The maiden trip then takes place on 3 July on the Mannheim ring road.
1888. The first long-distance drive.
In August Berta Benz dare to make the first long-distance drive in the history of the automobile with her two sons Eugen and Richard from Mannheim to Pforzheim.
The early 1890's brought the breakthrough for Karl Benz. With new partners and 50 employees, he now concentrated entirely on designing motor vehicles.
The Benz Velo was the first cheap, mass-produced car in the world. It came onto the market in 1893.
1894. World first: omnibus.
The Benz company develops a 5-hp omnibus based on passenger car models, the first omnibus in the world.
1895. Production is running.
Benz sells 120 motor cars in this year. The following year the 500th car since the beginning of automobile production is delivered.
The first delivery vehicle was developed by Karl Benz on the chassis of a Viktoria car model. It was supplied to the Paris department store "Bon Marché".
1898. Automobile production in Austria.
The Nesselsdorfer Wagenfabrik produces Austria's first modern automobile under license from Karl Benz.
1899. Name change.
The company Benz & Co. (general commercial partnership) becomes Benz & Cie Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik AG, Mannheim on 8 May. Next to Karl Benz, Julius Ganss, as a member of the Board of Management, is commercial director.
1900. Number one in the world.
The Benz company delivers, in addition to stationary engines, 603 motor vehicles, 341 of them abroad. This makes it the biggest vehicle factory in the world.
1903. Karl Benz resigns.
Karl Benz resigns from the management and the Board of Management of Benz & Cie. over differences of opinion. On 9/10 June there is a big fire in Bad Cannstatt. In it, around 90 cars, some finished, some in production, are destroyed.
1904. Karl Benz at Benz & Cie.
Karl Benz joins the Supervisory Board of Benz & Cie. in the summer.
1908. Factory in Mannheim-Waldorf.
The new factory of Benz & Cie. in Mannheim-Waldhof is completed (total cost 600,000 marks), and the entire vehicle production is relocated there.
1910. Study in the USA.
Benz & Cie sends a commission to the USA to study American vehicle production methods.
1913. Production of an aeroengine.
Benz & Cie. begins production of its aeroengine, winner of the Kaiser prize, thereby entering a new field of activity.
1994. Benz on the Stock Exchange.
Shares of Benz are listed on the Mannheim stock exchange in March. Production of diesel engines.
1922. Production of diesel engines.
Benz produces the first 30-hp pre-chamber diesel engines for Sendling-Motorpflüge.
Benz & Cie. sells the stationary engine production department (today MWM), which had been located on the old factory site.
The Schapiro group, Berlin, buys common stock of Benz & Cie worth 40 million marks.
The association of common interest
As the oldest automobile manufacturers in the world, the companies Benz and DMG conclude an association of common interest on 1 May. Chairman of the association of common interest is Dr. von Stauß.
© Mercedes-Benz, last update: 09/10/95
