Mercedes-Benz Patent-Motorwagen Replica Debuts and Drives at Beijing Auto Show

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an officially licensed replica of the "Benz Patent-Motorwagen"—the world’s first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. Originally invented in 1886 by German engineer Karl Benz, the vehicle received Imperial Patent No. 37435a on January 29 of that year and is widely recognized as the birth of the automotive industry. The replica on display features a single-cylinder four-stroke engine with a displacement of 0.954 liters, producing a maximum output of 0.75 horsepower and a top speed of approximately 16 km/h. It adopts a three-wheeled configuration with front-wheel steering and rear-wheel chain drive, and its body combines a metal frame with wooden components. At the exhibition, staff manually cranked the flywheel at the rear to start the engine, after which the vehicle was put into gear and drove around the booth, drawing large crowds of onlookers. Coinciding with the 140th anniversary of the birth of the automotive industry, this year’s auto show saw Mercedes-Benz stage its largest-ever presence at the event, showcasing nearly 40 models—including 12 classic vehicles. As one of the centerpiece exhibits, the dynamic demonstration of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen aims to create a dialogue between automotive history and modern high-performance intelligent electric vehicles.