George Washington couldn’t, but Jimmy Carter could. William Shakespeare
couldn’t but Elvis Presley. So what is it that a former president and one of the
most famous musicians could do that there fore-fathers couldn’t? Ride
motorcycles, because they were only invented in 1885. But the real question is,
who invented these machines that help us get from one place to another?
A German native, Gottlieb Daimler, and his co-worker, Wilhelm Maybach came up
with the brilliant idea of putting their newly designed engine on a bicycle to start
the trend of motorcycles. Both men worked for a gas-engine company owner,
Nikolaus Otto. A horrible fight between the men and their boss occurred, and
Daimler and Maybach quit to start their own company.
Daimler Motoren Gasselschaft was their new company, and along with a logo of
three pointed stars, Daimler Motoren Gasselschaft produced a new engine. This
engine was nothing like those in Otto’s company. Daimler and Maybach’s engine
could reach 900 revolutions per minute, unlike the 130 revolutions per minute
that Otto had mastered. A carburetor was invented by the duo at about the same
time as their engine. A carburetor is a device that mixes air with gasoline to
make fuel. As you can guess, the couple’s engine used gasoline as fuel; making
it the first engine to do so.
Now the only problem was, what would Daimler and Maybach do with a powerful
engine? It would be a waste to sell their product and idea to another person, so
after a while of thinking, the pair decided to put their engine on a bicycle.
Attached and ready to go, they tested their new transportation system with
astonishment. It had worked! They patented their product which they called the
motorcycle in 1885, and started selling their merchandise. Sales skyrocketed and
the two instantly became millionaires. Their motorcycles could reach speeds up
to 11 miles per hour, which attracted buyers who needed to get places quicker
than a horse-drawn carriage.
After the invention of motorcycles, Daimler Motoren Gasselschaft decided to try
their engine on stagecoaches. The idea was wonderful, and their hard work and
effort led Daimler and Maybach to invent the first automobile. The year was 1900,
and the duo called their model Phoenix, which also helped their company take
off.
The company’s main focus after that was car-making. In Germany after World War
I, an economy crisis in 1926 led Daimler Motoren Gasellschaft to merge with
Benz & Cie to form Daimler-Benz. Their automobile trademark became Mercedes
Benz. The company finally joined together with Chrysler in 1998, forming what we
know today as DaimlerChrysler.
With the simple idea of a gas-powered engine applied to a bicycle, Gottlieb
Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach became rich and famous in the blink of an eye.
 | Our products are great for the environment | |
| We've been in business for over 10 years | |
| Call our toll-free number | |
