Who built the first Car Engine?
VerifiedAnswer: Karl Benz
Explanation:
Karl Benz, a German inventor and engineer, is credited with building the first practical car engine. In 1885, he created the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which was the first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. This revolutionary invention marked the beginning of the modern automotive era.
Benz's engine was a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine that ran on gasoline. It produced about 0.75 horsepower and could propel his three-wheeled vehicle at speeds of up to 16 kilometers per hour. The engine featured several innovative components including an electric ignition system, differential gears, and a carburetor for mixing fuel and air.
What made Benz's achievement special was that he didn't just build an engine - he created a complete, functional automobile. While other inventors like Nikolaus Otto had developed internal combustion engines earlier, Benz was the first to successfully integrate an engine into a practical vehicle design that could be manufactured and sold to the public.
The success of Benz's invention was also helped by his wife, Bertha Benz, who took the first long-distance car journey in 1888 without her husband's knowledge. She drove the Patent-Motorwagen about 106 kilometers to visit her mother, proving that the vehicle was reliable enough for practical transportation. This journey helped promote the automobile and demonstrated its potential to the world.
