Gottlieb Daimler pioneered both motorcycle and truck before founding Mercedes-Benz

Gottlieb Daimler was one of the true pioneers of the automotive industry.

The German inventor was an innovator not just on four wheels, but two.

Not only did Daimler build the world’s first motorcycle, but he also achieved something else.

He was also responsible for building the world’s first truck – before founding Mercedes-Benz.

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Gottlieb Daimler changed the game – in the 1800s

Gottlieb Daimler is a name with which you might not be overly familiar.

But it is a name that should be – because he was a massive innovator in the automotive industry.

In truth, we could spend most of the day explaining how influential Daimler was.

But we will try and keep it as concise as we can – because there is a lot.

For one thing, Gottlieb Daimler invented what is now recognized as the world’s first motorcycle back in 1885.

The ‘Reitwagen’ was a wooden-framed two-wheeler powered by a single-cylinder engine.

Despite creating the first motorized two-wheeler, it wasn’t enough to satisfy the inventor.

So he decided to change the face of the car industry as well.

Ten years later, in 1896, he decided to adapt the same technology into a different format.

Instead of two wheels, Daimler created what is recognized as the world’s first truck.

In fairness, it wasn’t a truck in the conventional sense – it was more of a horse wagon with an engine and wheels.

The German did this by connecting it to the rear axle via a belt drive.

He tested his new truck at a brick factory to prove that it could realistically work.

German creation quickly takes hold across the globe

As you’ve probably worked out, this design and innovation evolved very quickly.

By 1898, Daimler and Maybach had evolved the design into something that set the foundation for modern trucks.

The German truck very quickly started drawing major international interest.

Interestingly, the first buyer of this truck was from England.

The new truck also outperformed a steam-driven rival in a comparison trial in Liverpool.

It also caught interest across the Atlantic, where the truck became popular in America.

In the US, the company partnered with Steinway & Sons to build engines and vehicles in New York.

Karl Benz followed with his own line in 1900, completing the foundation for the modern truck.

Daimler’s company would eventually go on to merge with Karl Benz’s Benz & Cie. in 1926.

And the Mercedes-Benz brand would be born from the merger.