Authors: Peter Lynn
Date Submitted: August 31, 2002
Article Type: Journal

A couple of vintage car enthusiasts arrived with a very interesting challenge one weekend. They had secured the rights to make an official replica of the first motorcar, Carl Benz’s single cylinder three-wheeler of l886—from 15 pounds of plans duly received from Mercedes-Benz. It took 14 months to build. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t run.

That fits the profile of a perfect Sunday problem: that is, has moving bits, makes noises, involves being dirty, is challenging enough to be interesting, and is definitely solvable. Just a sudden thought, that I’m too old to have, but no, girls don’t qualify—they fail the final criterion.

The Benz engine has a slide-type inlet valve but a conventional exhaust—sort of half-way between steam engine and internal combustion engine technology. It should produce 1 horsepower at 250 revolutions per minute on full throttle from its one liter open crank, single cylinder engine. Forget fuel injection, this engine doesn’t even have a carburetor. The air intake passes through a sort of half size fuel tank, picking up some fuel vapor as it does.

PDF Link: Journal Issue