The world’s first automobile with a four-cylinder engine: Daimler “Phoenix”

Daimler “Phoenix” four-cylinder engine. Wilhelm Maybach designed a whole family of engines with four cylinders and up to 16.9 kW (23 hp). The “Phoenix” 8 hp was the world’s first vehicle with a four-cylinder engine. On 12 September 1898, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) delivered the very first model to Emil Jellinek. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: 1989M1331)

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The world’s first automobile with a four-cylinder engine: Daimler “Phoenix”

• The first vehicle was delivered by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) to Emil Jellinek
• The tubular radiator was a crucial innovation in the drive for higher engine performance
• Wilhelm Maybach designed a whole family of four-cylinder engines

Flashback to the early days of the automobile: the world’s first vehicle with a four-cylinder engine was the Daimler “Phoenix”. On 12 September 1898, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) delivered the very first model to businessman Emil Jellinek, who lived in Nice. He not only sold cars, a new technological product at the time, in the highest social circles, but also from time to time provided DMG with feedback that led to improvements and thus to eminently sellable new vehicles. He called for more power – so the “Phoenix” engine designed by Wilhelm Maybach developed 5.9 kW (8 hp) at 720 rpm from 2.1 litres of displacement. Between 1898 and 1899, a whole family of four-cylinder engines with up to 16.9 kW (23 hp) was created. They each featured two pairs of cast cylinders on a crankcase. In 1897, DMG had introduced the “Phoenix” motor carriages with two-cylinder engines, which were installed at the front for the first time. Compared to the motor carriages with belt drive, this was the first decisive step towards the modern automobile. A key factor in the significantly increased engine power was the tubular radiator developed by Maybach, which was registered as a German utility model in December 1897 and was used for the first time in the “Phoenix”. It consisted of many small tubes, around which the cooling water flowed and through which the air flowed. This innovative design paved the way to the high-performance automobile and represents a significant milestone in automotive development.