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Today, Mercedes-Benz is known for its sleek SUVs and sedans that dominate city streets. But few know how one of the world’s most iconic car brands began. It all started with a three-wheeled invention that resembled more a carriage than a modern car. While such vehicles have long fallen out of use, one man decided to bring the car that started it all back to life. In a video widely being reshared online, a California-based engineer was seen breathing new life into that very first Mercedes-Benz car. As seen in the clip, the man was turning on the car’s engine, and once it started, he took it out for a ride. He has restored one of the very first Mercedes-Benz vehicles ever built, the Patent Motorwagen, designed by Carl Benz in 1886. Often hailed as the birth of the automobile, this vehicle marked the world’s shift from horse-drawn carriages to motor-powered travel. The Patent Motorwagen Was Priced At $1,000 The Motorwagen ran on a single-cylinder engine, producing less than one horsepower, and was the first vehicle powered entirely by an internal combustion engine. Originally sold for around $1,000, which would be about $1,30,000 today, the Motorwagen was a marvel of its time. “Seeing it roar back to life nearly 140 years later is like stepping into the exact moment the world shifted from horse-drawn carriages to modern cars,” a part of the caption of the post read. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wealth (@wealth) Patent Motorwagen Restoration Captures Global Attention In no time, social media users flooded the comments section, praising the engineer for restoring the world’s very first Mercedes-Benz vehicle. A user praised human beings’ creativity and innovations, saying, “Humans have really tried. From this to the G wagon 2025. Humans have really tried on this earth.” “Honestly, more of a flex than any hypercar, a functional one of these,” added another. “What a beauty. Able to see all the parts and gears working harmoniously,” a different user mentioned. One individual pointed out, “This isn’t a restore. They are kit cars modelled after the ‘first automobile’. A lot of Mercedes dealerships keep them in the showroom.” According to Mercedes-Benz’s official site, major features of the two-seater vehicle, completed in 1885, include a compact, high-speed, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine installed horizontally at the rear, a tubular steel frame, a differential, and three wire-spoked wheels. In July 1886, the vehicle made its first public outing.
