Daimler Reitwagen ("Riding Car"), 1885

 Reitwagen (“Riding Car”) by Gottlieb Daimler, 1885. Authentic replica. Studio shot from the right from an elevated position.

Daimler Reitwagen (“Riding Car”), 1885

In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach advanced the development of the four-stroke engine for vehicle propulsion. Compared to Nicolaus August Otto’s engine, the engine speed was significantly increased, and the automotive pioneers had at the same time greatly reduced the size and weight of the engine. The compact engine with an upright cylinder was called “grandfather clock” because of its characteristic appearance. Now it was time to test it in a vehicle. The choice fell on a two-wheeler with a wooden frame and wooden wheels. This is how the Daimler Reitwagen (“Riding Car”), in fact the first ever motorcycle in the world, was created. The single-cylinder engine developed 0.37 kW (0.5 hp) at 600 rpm from a displacement of 264 cubic centimetres. Power was transmitted by a leather belt that could be placed on two differently sized pulleys when stationary – a simple form of two-speed transmission. On August 29, 1885, Gottlieb Daimler had this “Riding Car” with a “gas or petroleum engine” patented (DRP 36423). In November, his younger son made his first trip from Cannstatt to Untertürkheim, reaching speeds of up to 12 km/h.

Technical data Daimler Reitwagen (“Riding Car”), 1885

Engine: 1/standing

Displacement: 264 cc

Output: 0.37 kW (0.5 hp) at 600 rpm

Maximum speed: 12 km/h