Benz Patent Motorwagen Replica is Unadulterated Automotive History
You may not be able to buy an original but this Benz Patent Motorwagen replica is every bit as cool.
Some will argue, but most agree – the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen was the first car ever invented. But if you covet this priceless piece of automotive history, getting your grubby hands on one is akin to catching Bigfoot. That is, unless you pony up for a replica. And thankfully for you, Mercedes constructed a number of fully-functioning examples in 2001 and 2002 with the intentions of showing them off in museums various public exhibits. And now, they’re actually selling one of those Benz Patent Motorwagen replicas.
So how much will this rare opportunity set you back? Well, as they say, if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. Or officially “price available on request.” And that’s the case with most of the rest of the details on this cool classic. Including the chassis, transmission, and engine numbers. What we do know is that it’s currently sitting at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. And we want it.
Aside from the obvious importance of being the first car ever, the story of the Benz Patent Motorwagen is undeniably fascinating. Mere months after Karl Benz patented his historic creation, Gottlieb Daimler was also making history just 60 miles away. Daimler patented the first internal-combustion engine, though he designed it for a four-wheeled horseless carriage. Marry the two together and the rest, as they say, is history.
And that’s exactly what this amazing Benz Patent Motorwagen is. It was acquired recently by the Classic Center at Mercedes-Benz’ museum, then inspected and serviced. And with zero kilometers showing on the odometer, clearly never driven. But when you own such a priceless recreation of automotive history (that’s also probably pretty hard to drive), why bother?