Designed from scratch by German engineer Carl Benz, the Patent-Motorwagen is widely regarded as the first practical petroleum-powered automobile. Unlike other powered conveyances of the era, it was not adapted from a horse-drawn carriage but was conceived as a motorcar. Benz’s vehicle grew out of his experimentation with internal combustion engines in the 1870s and 1880s: his commercial success with a single-cylinder, two-stroke engine enabled him to devote time to developing his own automobile. He applied for a patent for the vehicle on January 29, 1886.

The Motorwagen featured a lightweight tubular frame and a rear-mounted, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine, which was started by manually spinning the flywheel. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels via belts and chains, and a tiller controlled the pivoting front wheel for steering. The vehicle incorporated several elements that would become fundamental to later automobiles, including electric spark ignition, evaporative water cooling, and a differential gear.