Over 135 years ago, Gottlieb Daimler’s patent began to be tested almost in secret on small boats
Mobility needs in the late 19th century were not limited to roads , since people who lived by rivers or lakes also had other types of routine. Aware of this, Gottlieb Daimler also started using compact-sized vessels to test his new patent, the single-cylinder combustion engine that we would come to know later in what became known as the world’s first automobile.
The reactions of those on the shore were very varied, since there was no sail on this boat, nor could anyone be seen rowing, but the truth is that on board was the combustion engine of Gottlieb Daimler with Wilhelm Maybach working on it, while gliding through the waters of the Neckar River in August 1886.
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In reality, there were three boats with three different sizes: Neckar, Rems and Schwaben, with capacities ranging from two to ten people. And the engine they had both been working on for almost four years, and which made their debut in the strange two-wheeled vehicle dubbed the “Reitwagen” 1885, also proved that it would serve very well as a propellant for this new form of mobility on water.
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On the part of the public, the use of a gasoline engine was anything but expected and even Daimler did everything to make it understood that it was an electric motor (in 1886), installing all the necessary wiring during the day and hiding the combustion engine at night. Even when it was up and running, it was always camouflaged during the testing phase.
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In October 1886 Daimler registered his patent, which was eventually issued in June 1887 in Germany and a little earlier, in April, in the United States. In addition to the combustion engine, Daimler also registered a revolutionary inversion unit, which made it possible to drive vessels in reverse gear, perfect for parking maneuvers.
After some introductions to the public, production finally began in 1888 at its new shipyard in Bad Cannstatt. The hulls were supplied by existing builders, in which Daimler installed its engine and propulsion system. One of them was “Marie”, which belonged to the family of German Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and is currently in the brand’s museum in Stuttgart, as well as the two-wheeled Reitwagen and the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which became famous like the first automobile. Common to all of these is the small single-cylinder engine that has remained in the brand’s history forever.
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Benz also started producing engines for boats at about the same time and after merging with Daimler in 1926 continued to do so throughout the 20th century. One of the best-known creations belonged to Herbert Quandt, the company’s majority shareholder, and consisted of two boats capable of breaking speed records, as they were equipped with a powerful six-cylinder engine, known for also powering the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé (W 198) which is best known as Gullwing, or gull wings.
Currently, the designs of the German brand designed to walk on water are less common, but no less interesting. Most of them are developed by the area dedicated to lifestyle and decoration, with the Mercedes-Benz Style brand and one of the last examples is the Arrow 460 Granturismo, presented in 2016.
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