Gottlieb Daimler was born on March 17, 1834. in Schorndorf, Germany. Through a succession of different jobs from gunsmith to engineer, Daimler became involved in the development of internal-combustion engines. By 1883 Gottlieb and his associate Wilhelm Maybach had developed the first small high speed engine, fueled by a petroleum fraction known as ligroin. In 1885, they designed a vertical cylinder version of this engine which they subsequently fitted to a two-wheeler, the first internal combustion motorcycle which was named the Petroleum Reitwagen (Riding Car) and, in the next year, to a coach, and a boat. Daimler called this engine the grandfather clock engine (Standuhr) because of its resemblance to a large pendulum clock.
In that same year, Karl Benz developed an automobile using a 2 cycle engine of his own design. Daimler never met Karl Benz during the period of invention. However, in 1896 Daimler (DMG) sued Benz & Cie for violating his 1883 patent on hot tube ignition. Daimler won and Benz had to pay royalties to DMG. Daimler did not meet Karl Benz while they were in court or at the founding of the Central European Motor Car Association.
In June, 19, 1926, years after Daimler died, the representatives of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie signed the agreement for the merger of the two oldest automobile manufacturers in the world. The resulting new company was named Daimler-Benz AG. Out of this came our new motor car.
Daimler’s quest for perfection was evident in his famous quote, “The best or nothing at all.”
