Karl Benz

Hello, I'm Karl Benz. I was born in a country called Germany a long, long time ago, in the year 1844. When I was a little boy, I loved things that moved. My favorite toy was my bicycle. I loved watching its wheels go round and round as I pedaled down the street. I would ride my bicycle everywhere, but I always had a big question in my head. I wondered if I could make something that could move all by itself, with no pedals to push and no horse to pull it.

As I got older, I still had my big idea. I wanted to build a carriage that didn't need a horse to pull it. I told my wife, Bertha, all about my dream, and she thought it was a wonderful idea. With her help, I spent many hours in my workshop. I worked and worked to build a special engine. It was a little engine that made a funny sound. It went 'putt-putt-putt'. Then, one very special day in the year 1886, I was finally ready. I attached my little engine to a carriage that had three big wheels.

My new invention was called the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. That's a very long name for something very special. It was the very first automobile in the world. Today, you would just call it a car. My invention chugged and puffed as the engine worked hard, but it moved all on its own. It was so exciting to see my dream rolling down the road for the very first time. I had made a carriage that could move without a horse.

My invention was just the beginning of something new for the whole world. I lived to be 84 years old and passed away in 1929. In my life, I saw my little idea grow and grow into bigger, faster cars. Now, every time you see a car, a truck, or a bus driving by, you can remember that it all started with my little three-wheeled car that went 'putt-putt-putt'.