See the Worlds first automobile at the
Montana Auto Museum
Now on display in the Visitors Center, this replica of the 1886 Benz Motorwagen is a working model recreated for the 100th Anniversary of the Daimler Benz Motor Company in 1989. Constructed from the original 1886 schematics, this vehicle is widely regarded as the first automobile, a vehicle designed to be propelled by a motor.
The original Benz Patent Motorwagen was a three wheeled vehicle with a rear-mounted engine. It was constructed of steel tubing with wooden panels, steel-spoked wheels and solid rubber tires. Steering is by way of a toothed rack that pivots the unsprung front wheel. Fully-elliptic springs are used at the back along with a live axle and drive chain on both sides. A simple belt system serves as a single-speed transmission, varying torque between an open disc and drive disc. The first Motorwagen used the Benz 954 cc single-cylinder four stroke engine which produced ⅔ hp (½ kW) at 250 rpm. It was an extremely light engine for its time, weighing about 220 lb. It has an open crankcase and drip oiling system, and uses a pushrod-operated poppet valve for the exhaust. The single-cylinder engine’s power output is stabilized by a large horizontal flywheel. The power and engine speed is regulated by an evaporative carburettor controlled by a sleeve valve.
(This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Benz patent Motorwagen”)
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To watch a video of a Benz Motorwagen operating, please click on the PLAY button below (taken from the BBC TV program ‘Top Gear’)
dear sir . mad.
i am interested in the builder of the
benzpatent motorwagen.and the origonal schamatics
for the engine . if you could help any information i would apperciate .
thank you
steve bishop
canada
I will pass on your request to our Museum Director. If we have any information available I will let you know.
Dear Sir:
I am interested in building one for myself and would like to know if you have some blue prints for the 1886 Benz. Please let me know if you do or where I can aquire some. Thanks for you time.
I’m sorry but we do not have access to any blue prints for the Benz.
Dir sir/mad
Please can you tell me the name of the man who made the replica
A.BEMBOM
my grandfather robert whitmore of kennedy, ny built the benz by looking at a model and a picture he had…everything was done by sight and never had any blueprints or made any while building…i am sad to say he has passed away. in his lifetime he made three vehicles this benz was his last, he enlisted the help of my uncle for engine work and my father for the paint work. thanks you for displaying this his crown achievement.
My son Nicholas told you of my father building the benz – I was wondering if you would like some pictures of my father building the car?
My father Robert Whitmore built this replica of the Benz. I do have some photos of the production faze. I have a short video of the first time it was turned over. My husband is the one who helped with the engine. My brother-in-law did the paint and a couple other family guys did some of the welding and such. I’m very happy to know it is in a museum to be appriciated by other car lovers.
I will try to get my photos together and will forward them to the museum when I can. Thanks so much for your interest.
I also would like to see credit go to the builder Robert J. Whitmore. Dale R. Whitmore was the previous owner of BuenaVista,CO.Now also deceased. Thankyou!
Thank you Nicholas, Linda, Val and David for the information about the building of our replica. We would be very interested in seeing photos and video of the construction. Very sorry to hear that Robert and Dale Whitmore had passed away.