C. BENZ. 



SELF PROPELLINO VEHICLE. 



Patented June 26, 18 



Figure 9. — Illustration from U.S. patent 

 385087, issued to Carl Benz, showing the 

 horizontal plane of the flywheel, a feature 

 utilized by the Durycas in their machine. 



The first contemporary record of any work on 

 vehicles is a bill, dated January 21, 1892, for a drawing 

 made by George W. Howard & Company. This 

 drawing was made in the fall of 1891 by Charles A. 

 Bartlett, a member of the Howard firm and a 

 neighbor of Charles Duryea, according to a statement 

 by Charles in the Automobile Trade Journal of Jan. 1 0, 

 1925. He was then also of the opinion that this 

 drawing may not have had anything to do with the 

 carriage they were about to assemble, but a notation 

 found by Charles at a later date has led him to 

 believe that it possibly concerned a business type 

 vehicle he had discussed with an unidentified Mr. 

 Snow. 



By early 1892 Charles needed capital to finance 

 his venture, an old carriage to attach his inventions 

 to, a place to work, and a mechanic to do the work. 

 On March 26, he stopped by the Smith Carriage 

 Company and looked over a selection of used buggies 

 and phaetons. He finally decided on a rather well- 

 used ladies' phaeton which he purchased for $70. 

 The leather dash was in so deplorable a state it would 

 have to be recovered before he carriage went onto 

 the road, and the leather fenders it once possessed 

 had previously been removed; yet the upholstery 

 appeared to be in satisfactory condition, and the 

 candle lamps were intact. 



Two days later, Charles was able to interest Erwin 

 F. Markham, of Springfield, sufficiently to obtain 

 his financial aid in the project. A contract was 



. GEAStnC 



SPA*< C 



■ 

 ONE < .■ ■ 



ftuG 

 ■ 

 BEST. MOVING I 



UNSNf TANK 



DRIVE ( 



FUll EUIPTIC BEA» SPBINGS 



SOtiO »UBB£» TIDES ON WIRE NCY< 



Figure io. — Phantom illustration of Benz' first automobile. (From Carl Benz, Father oj 

 the Automobile Industry, by L. M. Fanning, New York, 1955.) 



BULLETIN 240: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



