Driven by a genius for mechanical engineering and a fascination with the budding notion of ‘horseless carriages’, Karl Friedrich Benz designed and developed the world’s first internal combustion engine-powered automobile in 1885.
It’s hard to imagine a more profound contribution to the history of transport, but Benz continued to play a leading role in the motor industry throughout his restlessly innovative career.
1. Benz grew up in near poverty but developed a precocious interest in engineering
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany on 25 November 1844, Karl Benz was brought up in challenging circumstances. His father, a railway engineer, died of pneumonia when he was just two years old, and his mother struggled for money throughout his childhood.
But Benz’s intelligence was clear from a young age, in particular his aptitude for mechanics and engineering stood out. These precocious talents allowed him to help out financially by fixing watches and clocks. He even built a darkroom where he developed photos for tourists in the Black Forest.
