1885Reputable sourceWell documented
Daimler and Maybach's High-Speed Engine
On the timeline · around 1885 ·
What happened
Building on Otto's work, Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach spent about a decade developing a compact, high-speed petrol engine, completing it in 1885 and fitting it that year to a wooden two-wheeler — in effect the first internal-combustion motorcycle. Their light, fast-running engine was small enough to be mounted in almost any vehicle.
Why it matters
Working independently of Karl Benz, Daimler and Maybach laid the other foundation stone of the motor car. Their engine designs — and the Mercedes that grew from them — helped launch the automobile industry.
Sources
- National Inventors Hall of Fame. Gottlieb Daimler — Engine Design · Reputable source