Mercedes-Benz took the world's first mass-produced car for a ride to see how it works
- Mercedes-Benz has taken its first mass-produced car in its history for a ride
- It’s still going strong 130 years later
- The Benz Motor-Velocipede, better known as the Benz Velo, was built in 1894
Published on Apr 11, 2024 at 2:53 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Apr 11, 2024 at 7:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Mercedes-Benz has taken its first mass-produced car in its history for a ride – and it’s still going strong 130 years later.
Built in 1894, Mercedes-Benz Classic took the Benz Motor-Velocipede, better known as the Benz Velo, out for a spin on their closed racing track in Sindelfingen.
The Benz Velo completed several satisfactory laps before returning to its museum home.
It’s a sign that as well as constantly looking to the future, we can learn a lot from its past, too.
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The site is also home to Factory 56 with its state-of-the-art production technology.
The carmaker is currently trialing the use of humanoid robots for production logistics.
‘From 1894 to the future’, is what then-called Benz & Cie said about the car at the time.
Its lightweight construction marked a turning point for the automobile industry.
The simplicity of controls and tech of the Benz Velo is a stark contrast to cars of today.
The Benz Velo was able to cover 20km/h (12mph) and able to cover gradients of 10% ‘on good roads’.
It cost 2,000 marks to buy, and was ‘complete with the finest fittings and lanterns’.
“The demand for this vehicle was literally overwhelming,” Carl Benz said about his creation in an interview in 1909.
“What we made sold immediately.”
Between 1894 and 1902, about 1,200 units of the family of compact cars were manufactured in the Benz factory at Mannheim.
Starting in 1896, Benz sold more powerful engines and additional equipment options to suit its customers.
The ‘Benz Comfortable’ came with a longer body and added a third gear, upholstery, a rear-facing child seat, and a crank to facilitate starting.
Improved grip on the tires was an added bonus.
The power of the horizontally installed 1-liter single-cylinder engine with vertical flywheel leapt from 1.1kW (1.5hp) in the first Benz Velo of 1894 to 3.3kW (4.5hp) in the Benz Comfortable from 1902.
On the other edge of progress, this ultra-rare Mercedes-AMG One is currently listed on SBX Cars.
You can also get your hands on this 1990 Mercedes-Benz Wolf GD250 listed on SBX Cars.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
