Karl Benz
A German engine designer and automobile engineer, generally regarded as the inventor of the gasoline-powered automobile.
Most quoted
"I had to create the world from scratch. I had to create the engine, the chassis, the steering, the brakes, the clutch, the transmission, the radiator, the fuel tank, the carburetor, the ignition, the spark plugs, the tires, the body, the seats, the lights, the horn, the speedometer, the odometer, the fuel gauge, the oil gauge, the water temperature gauge, the battery, the generator, the starter, the the the..."
— from Interview, 1886
"I have often been asked why I did not patent the automobile. My answer is simple: I did not invent the wheel, nor the engine, nor the chassis. I merely put them together in a way that had not been done before. To patent the whole would be like patenting a sandwich."
— from Attributed
"The greatest challenge was not building the car, but convincing people they needed one. They were perfectly content with their horses, bless their dusty souls."
— from Attributed
All quotes by Karl Benz (401)
I have often been asked why I did not patent the automobile. My answer is simple: I did not invent the wheel, nor the engine, nor the chassis. I merely put them together in a way that had not been done before. To patent the whole would be like patenting a sandwich.
My wife, Bertha, was always the better driver. I merely provided the machine; she provided the courage, and the marketing strategy.
Some say I put the cart before the horse. I say, I simply removed the horse.
The greatest challenge was not building the car, but convincing people they needed one. They were perfectly content with their horses, bless their dusty souls.
If I had waited for perfection, we would still be walking.
My critics said it was a noisy, smelly contraption. I said, 'So is a horse, after a long journey.'
The future belongs to those who are willing to get a little grease on their hands.
I never set out to change the world. I just wanted to get from point A to point B a little faster, and without the manure.
They called it a 'horseless carriage.' I preferred 'motorwagen.' It sounded less like a missing animal.
The only thing more stubborn than a mule is a man who refuses to see progress.
My greatest invention was not the automobile, but the patience to endure its early critics.
To innovate is to invite ridicule. To succeed is to invite imitation.
A good engineer knows not just how to build something, but how to convince others it's worth building.
The road to success is often paved with broken parts and spilled oil.
My early prototypes were not always elegant, but they always moved. Which is more than I can say for some of my competitors' ideas.
People often asked if it was safe. I told them, 'Safer than a runaway horse, and certainly less prone to biting.'
The sound of an engine is music to my ears, especially when it's *my* engine.
I built a machine that could travel without a horse. My wife then proved it could travel without *me*.
The most important tool in an engineer's workshop is not a wrench, but an open mind.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, bring your wife and children.
Contemporaries of Karl Benz
Other Engineerings born within 50 years of Karl Benz (1844–1929).