The first automobile was developed by Karl Benz and named ‘The Patent Motorwagen’. It was powered by a single-cylinder, 958 cc, 4-stroke engine developed by Benz himself. It could develop a power of 0.8 horsepower at 230 rpm. The engine was water-cooled and horizontally mounted on the chassis. Evaporative cooling was employed for engine cooling. The water supplied for cooling evaporated in an open atmosphere. Hence, a considerable amount of water was needed to meet the cooling requirements.
The power from the engine’s driver pulley is transmitted to the rear through a roller chain. The rear axle had a differential to control power supply to the two rear wheels. The maximum speed the car could attain was 16 km/ hr. The fuel used in this engine was a gasoline-based solvent named Ligroin. This solvent was only available at chemist shops at that time. The chassis of the car was inspired by a tricycle. It had three-spoked wheels and tubular steel frame. A rack and pinion-based steering handle was provided to steer the vehicle.
The power from the flywheel was transferred to the driven pulley using a belt. This belt and pulley system acted as the power transmission system of the car. The brakes were applied using a handlebar at the side of the car. The force was applied at the transmission belt instead of the wheels. The brake shoes were wooden and wore out easily. No suspension was attached to the front wheels.
However, the rear wheels had leaf spring-based suspension system. Due to its simple construction, the car weighed only 100 kgs. This car was highly inefficient and had a mileage of only 10km/litre. It had no separate fuel tank. The carburettor itself acted as a fuel reservoir, storing 4.5 litres of petrol.
Note: The article was originally published here.