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)
Without my wife's courage and belief, the Benz motor car would have never seen the light of day.
Precision is the key to durability.
The future of transportation lies in individual freedom of movement.
An inventor must be an optimist, or he would never start his work.
The motor car will eventually become so simple that anyone will be able to drive it.
I built my first engine from scrap metal and sheer will.
The greatest obstacle to progress is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.
A good engineer thinks in systems, not just components.
My goal was not to build the fastest vehicle, but the most practical.
The patent is the inventor's only protection, but also his greatest validation.
Every journey begins with a single turn of the wheel.
The noise of the engine is the music of the future.
I saw the locomotive, but I dreamed of a locomotive for every person.
Failure is only a lesson if you are paying attention.
The vehicle must be adapted to the road, and the road to the vehicle.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in mechanics.
Do not fear ridicule. The visionary is always laughed at before he is celebrated.
The true test of an invention is not its novelty, but its utility.
I have given the world a new pace.
The engineer's duty is to wrest secrets from nature and put them to work for humanity.
Contemporaries of Karl Benz
Other Engineerings born within 50 years of Karl Benz (1844–1929).