15 Mercedes-Benz Cars Every Enthusiast Should Know About

Benz Patent-Motorwagen

When talking about the greatest Mercedes-Benz vehicles, you can't skip mentioning the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Now, technically, it's not a Mercedes-Benz, but without it, there would be no Mercedes---and possibly no cars at all. That might sound a bit dramatic, but its importance is undeniable. Created by Carl Benz, the Patent-Motorwagen is widely considered the first true automobile, patented in 1886.

Mercedes-Benz's website highlights that the car was powered by a single-cylinder engine designed by Carl Benz, producing around ⅔ horsepower. While it was a working vehicle, it wasn't until Carl's wife, Bertha Benz, took it for a spin that it really proved its worth. She drove the car with her teenage sons on the first-ever road trip, a 66-mile journey from Heidelberg to Wiesloch. Carl had no idea she was doing it! At the time, there were no gas stations, and the car had a small fuel tank, so Bertha had to stop at pharmacies along the way to get more gasoline. While the car wasn't the fastest or the most luxurious, being the first of its kind makes it one of the greatest.