Which automobile pioneer is credited in 1886 as manufacturing the first vehicle powered with an internal-combustion engine?

The year 1886 marked a pivotal moment in transportation history with the creation of the first vehicle truly designed around the internal-combustion engine. That achievement belongs to German engineer Karl Friedrich Benz. On January 29, 1886, Benz received patent number 37435 for his "vehicle powered by a gas engine," a groundbreaking invention widely recognized as the world's first practical automobile. Unlike earlier attempts to motorize existing carriages, Benz's design integrated the engine, chassis, and drive system as a single, cohesive unit, setting the standard for future automotive development.

Benz's creation, known as the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, was a three-wheeled vehicle featuring a lightweight, single-cylinder, four-stroke gasoline engine horizontally mounted at the rear. This pioneering engine initially produced less than one horsepower, allowing the vehicle to reach a top speed of about 16 kilometers per hour (10 mph). Benz publicly demonstrated his invention on the streets of Mannheim in July 1886, showcasing a revolutionary new form of personal mobility to a curious public.

Crucially, the success of the Patent-Motorwagen was significantly bolstered by Benz's wife, Bertha. In August 1888, without her husband's knowledge, Bertha undertook the first long-distance automobile journey, driving approximately 106 kilometers (66 miles) from Mannheim to Pforzheim with her two sons. This audacious trip not only proved the vehicle's reliability and practicality for everyday travel but also brought much-needed publicity to Karl's invention. During her journey, Bertha even performed impromptu repairs, using a hat pin to clear a blocked fuel line and asking a cobbler to line the brakes with leather, effectively inventing brake pads. Her courage and ingenuity were vital in dispelling public skepticism and paving the way for the automobile's widespread acceptance.