Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (German: [ˈɡɔtliːp ˈdaɪmlɐ]; 17 March 1834 – 6 March 1900) was a German engineer, industrial designer, and industrialist. He helped develop engines and cars. He created a high-speed engine that used liquid petroleum fuel.

Daimler and his longtime business partner, Wilhelm Maybach, worked together to build small, high-speed engines that could be used in vehicles. In 1883, they designed a horizontal cylinder engine that could control its speed, making it useful for transportation. This engine was called "Daimler's Dream."

In 1885, they made a vertical cylinder version of this engine. They attached it to a two-wheeled vehicle, creating the first motorcycle powered by an internal combustion engine. This motorcycle was named the Petroleum Reitwagen (Riding Car). Later that year, they also used the engine in a coach and a boat. Daimler called this engine the "grandfather clock engine" because it looked like a large pendulum clock.

In 1890, Daimler and Maybach changed their partnership into a company called Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG, or Daimler Motors Corporation). They sold their first automobile in 1892. Daimler became ill and took time away from the business. When he returned, he had disagreements with other company members and left in 1893. He returned in 1894. Maybach also left at the same time but came back later. Daimler died in 1900, and Maybach left DMG in 1907.

Daimler is known as "the father of the motorcycle."

Early life and education (1834–1862)

Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler was born on March 17, 1834, in the town of Schorndorf, near Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, which was part of the German Confederation, now known as Germany. His parents were Johannes Däumler (later Daimler), a baker, and his wife, Frederika. By the age of 13 (in 1847), he had completed six years of primary education at a Latin school and developed an interest in engineering.

After finishing secondary school in 1848, Daimler trained as a gunsmith under Master Gunsmith Hermann Raithel. In 1852, he completed his training with a certification exam, which included demonstrating his skill by engraving a pair of double-barreled pistols. That same year, at the age of 18, Daimler decided to pursue mechanical engineering instead of continuing as a gunsmith and left his hometown.

Daimler enrolled at Stuttgart’s School for Advanced Training in the Industrial Arts, where he studied under Ferdinand von Steinbeis. He was very dedicated to his studies, even attending extra classes on Sundays. In 1853, with Steinbeis’ help, Daimler began working at a factory called Rollé und Schwilque (R&S) in Grafenstaden. This factory was named after its manager, Friedrich Messmer, who had previously taught at the University of Karlsruhe. Daimler performed well at R&S, and in 1856, when the factory started building railway locomotives, he was appointed foreman at the age of 22.

Instead of staying at R&S, Daimler spent two years at Stuttgart’s Polytechnic Institute to improve his skills. There, he studied steam locomotives and became convinced that steam engines would eventually be replaced by other technologies. He began designing small, simple engines for industrial use, possibly influenced by the new gas engines being developed at the time.

In 1861, Daimler left R&S and traveled to Paris before going to England. There, he worked with leading engineering firms and gained experience with machine tools. He spent the time from autumn 1861 to summer 1863 in England, which was then considered “the motherland of technology,” at Beyer, Peacock & Company in Manchester. One of the company’s partners, Beyer, was from Saxony. While in London, Daimler visited the 1862 International Exhibition, where a steam-powered carriage was displayed. However, these carriages did not inspire him, as his goal was to improve tools used in metalworking and woodworking machinery.

Career through 1882

Daimler worked at Maschinenfabrik Daniel Straub, Geislingen an der Steige, where he created tools, mills, and turbines. In 1863, he joined the Bruderhaus Reutlingen, a company that combined Christian beliefs with socialist ideas, as an inspector and later as a manager. There, he met Wilhelm Maybach, who was 15 years old and had no parents. Because of Daimler’s ability to organize work, the factory became profitable, but he left in 1869 due to frustration. He then joined Maschinenbau Gesellschaft Karlsruhe in July.

In 1872, when N.A. Otto and Cie changed its name to Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz, Daimler was chosen as factory manager, even though Otto was not selected. Daimler joined the company in August and brought Maybach to work as the chief designer. Although Daimler improved production, problems with Otto’s engine design and Daimler’s preference for atmospheric engines caused the company to face challenges. Neither Otto nor Daimler would change their positions. When Daimler was given the choice to start a branch in Saint Petersburg or resign, he chose to resign. He then started a business in Cannstatt, using his savings and shares from Deutz. Soon after, Maybach joined him there.

Otto four-stroke engine (1876)

In 1872, at the age of 38, Daimler and Maybach began working for the world's largest maker of stationary engines at that time, the Deutz-AG-Gasmotorenfabrik in Cologne. The company was owned in part by Nicolaus Otto, who was searching for a new technical director. As directors, Daimler and Otto focused on improving gas engines, while Maybach served as the chief designer.

In 1876, Otto created a four-stroke cycle engine (later called the Otto Cycle) after 14 years of work. This engine used four piston movements: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. Otto hoped his invention would replace steam engines, which were widely used at the time, even though his engine was not yet advanced or efficient.

Otto's engine was patented in 1877, but one of his 25 patents was later challenged and canceled. Daimler, who wanted to develop his own engine, worried that Otto's patent would block him. Daimler hired a lawyer who discovered an earlier patent for a four-stroke engine had been granted in Paris in 1862 to Beau De Rochas, a French public works engineer.

At the same time, serious disagreements developed between Daimler and Otto. Some sources suggest Otto felt jealous of Daimler because of his university education and knowledge. Daimler wanted to build small engines for transportation, but Otto had no interest in this idea. When Otto excluded Daimler from his engine patents, the two men became very upset. Daimler was fired in 1880 and received 112,000 gold marks in Deutz-AG shares as compensation for the patents held by both Daimler and Maybach. Later, Maybach resigned and joined Daimler.

Independent inventor of small, high speed engines (1882)

At Cannstatt, Daimler and Maybach, who had more creative ideas, worked together to design an engine. Daimler wanted to replace "the clumsy, complicated slide-valve ignition" with a hot tube system created by an Englishman named Watson. This was because electrical systems were too slow to use at the time.

In the summer of 1882, Daimler moved to Cannstatt, which was near Stuttgart, and bought a cottage in Taubenheimstrasse using 75,000 Gold marks from money given to him by Deutz-AG. Maybach joined him in September of that year. In the garden, they added a brick extension to a large glass summer house, turning it into their workshop. Their work worried nearby neighbors, who told the police they suspected Daimler and Maybach of making fake money. The police got a key from the gardener and searched the house while they were away, but they only found engines.

Daimler and Maybach spent many hours discussing how to best power Otto's four-stroke engine design. They chose a petroleum product that was widely available. At the time, the main petroleum distillates were lubricating oil, kerosene (used for lamps), and ligroin (a type of petroleum naphtha or heavy naphtha), which was mostly sold in pharmacies as a cleaner. As described by antique car expert Michael Plag, "Leichtbenzin [meaning ligroin and similar petroleum fractions] was common and easily found in pharmacies at the time. This is a flammable fuel called n-hexane."

Dream engine (1883)

In late 1883, Daimler and Maybach patented their first engine powered by ligroin. This patent was granted on December 16, 1883. The engine operated at 750 revolutions per minute (rpm), meeting Daimler's goal of being small and fast enough for practical use. Over the next four years, improvements increased the engine's speed to 900 rpm. In early 1884, Daimler built three engines using this design, with one including a flywheel. This design was smaller and lighter compared to engines made by other inventors at the time. Daimler used hot tube ignition until 1897, when he switched to Bosch's electrical ignition system.

Grandfather clock engine (1885)

An engine with a flywheel was placed in a lightweight vehicle called the Reitwagen. This was the first vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. After a lot of work and testing, they created a 0.5 horsepower (0.37 kW; 0.51 PS) vertical single-cylinder engine. This engine was installed in the Reitwagen, a specially designed two-wheeler with two spring-loaded stabilizers.

Features of the 1885 engine included:
• A single horizontal cylinder with a volume of 264 cubic centimeters (16 cubic inches), measuring 58 millimeters by 100 millimeters (2.3 inches by 3.9 inches)
• Air cooling
• A large cast iron flywheel
• A surface carburetor
• A hot tube ignition system (patent 28022)
• Cam-operated exhaust valves, which allowed the engine to run at high speeds
• 0.5 horsepower (370 watts)
• A running speed of 600 revolutions per minute, which was much faster than earlier engines that usually ran at about 120 to 180 revolutions per minute
• A weight of about 50 kilograms (110 pounds)
• A height of 76 centimeters (30 inches)

In 1885, they created a carburetor that mixed gasoline with air to use it as fuel. In the same year, Daimler and Maybach built a larger version of their engine. This engine had a vertical cylinder with a displacement of 100 cubic centimeters and produced 1 horsepower at 600 revolutions per minute (patent DRP-28-022: "non-cooled, heat insulated engine with unregulated hot-tube ignition"). It was named the Standuhr, which means "grandfather clock" in German, because Daimler thought it resembled an old pendulum clock.

In November 1885, Daimler placed a smaller version of this engine in a wooden two-wheeler frame with two outrigger wheels, creating the first internal combustion motorcycle (Patent 36-423impff & Sohn "Vehicle with gas or petroleum drive machine"). It was named the Reitwagen, meaning "riding car." Maybach rode it for three kilometers (two miles) along the river Neckar, from Cannstatt to Untertürkheim, reaching a speed of 12 kilometers per hour (7 miles per hour).

First automobile (1886)

In 1886, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler each built an automobile independently in Germany, about 60 miles apart.

In Mannheim, Karl Benz created an automobile using a motor designed by himself. He received a patent for his motorwagen on January 29, 1886.

After proving his engine could power a vehicle, Daimler ordered a four-seater phaeton from Wimpff und Söhne to install his engine. The engine was placed by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen and connected to the rear wheels through a belt drive system with two gear ratios.

On March 8, 1886, Daimler and Maybach secretly brought an American Model coach made by Wilhelm Wimpff und Sohn into their home, telling neighbors it was a birthday gift for Mrs. Daimler. Maybach oversaw the installation of a larger version of the Grandfather Clock engine into the coach. This became the first four-wheeled vehicle to reach 16 kilometers per hour (10 miles per hour). The engine power was sent to the wheels using belts. The vehicle was tested on the road to Untertürkheim, where the MHPArena, formerly called the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, is now located.

Daimler wanted to use his engine in many ways. He and Maybach applied the engine to:

• Water transport (1886): They placed it in a 4.5-meter (15-foot) long boat named Neckar, after the river where it was tested. The boat reached a speed of 6 knots (11 kilometers per hour; 6.9 miles per hour). This was the first motorboat, and boat engines became Daimler’s main product for several years. Customers worried about the petrol engine exploding, so Daimler covered it with ceramic and called it "oil-electrical."
• Streetcars and trolleys.
• Air travel: In Daimler’s balloon, usually considered the first airship, the engine replaced a hand-powered engine designed by Dr. Friedrich Hermann Wölfert of Leipzig. Daimler successfully flew over Seelberg on August 10, 1888.

In 1887, they sold their first foreign engine licenses. Maybach represented them at the 1889 Paris Exposition to share their achievements.

First Daimler-Maybach automobile built (1889)

Engine sales increased, mainly for use in boats. In June 1887, Daimler purchased another property on Seelberg Hill in Cannstatt. The property was far from the town on Ludwigstraße 67 because Cannstatt’s mayor did not support the workshop. The building cost 30,200 goldmarks and had space for 23 employees. Daimler handled business matters, while Maybach oversaw the engine design department.

In 1889, Daimler and Maybach created the Stahlradwagen, their first automobile that did not use a horse-drawn carriage design but was influenced by bicycle features. No production occurred in Germany, but the vehicle was licensed for manufacturing in France. It was shown to the public in Paris in October 1889 by both engineers. That same year, Daimler’s wife, Emma Kunz, died.

Daimler Motors, thePhönixengine, and the first motorcar sold (1890 to 1900)

As demand for engines grew for use in motorboats, railcars, and other vehicles, Maybach and Daimler expanded their work. In 1890, Daimler started his own engine business, called Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG). With support from Max Duttenhofer, a gunpowder maker; Kilian von Steiner, a banker; and Wilhelm Lorenz, a munitions manufacturer, DMG was officially founded on November 28, 1890. Maybach became the chief designer of the company. DMG’s goal was to build small, high-speed engines for use on land, water, and air. Daimler showed this idea in a sketch that became the basis for a logo with a three-pointed star.

From 1882 to 1890, Daimler avoided turning his company into a stock company. He had seen engineers who created important inventions lose control of their businesses to shareholders who believed they knew better how to run the company. This happened to Henry Ford, Ransom Olds, Karl Benz, and August Horch. Daimler disliked becoming a stock company. Unable to gain majority control, he sold his shares and left the company. DMG grew, but it changed. New leaders focused on building more stationary engines and considered merging DMG with Otto’s Deutz-AG.

In 1892, DMG sold its first automobile. The company developed a high-speed inline-two engine called the Phönix, for which Maybach designed a spray carburetor. This engine was used in a car that was produced in 1895 after a disagreement between Daimler, Maybach, and the DMG board was resolved.

Gottlieb Daimler, who was 58 years old, had heart problems and collapsed during the winter of 1892–1893. His doctor advised him to travel to Florence, where he met Lina Hartmann, a 22-year-younger woman who owned the hotel where he stayed. They married on July 8, 1893, and honeymooned in Chicago during its World Fair.

After returning from the 1893 World’s Fair with his new wife, Daimler tried to buy enough shares in DMG to regain control. This effort failed. He sold all his shares, patents, and resigned from the company. Maybach had left earlier.

Disputes with Wilhelm Lorenz continued. Daimler tried to buy 102 more shares to gain majority control but was forced out of his role as technical director. The company owed 400,000 gold marks. Directors threatened to declare bankruptcy unless Daimler sold all his shares and patents from the past 30 years. Daimler agreed, received 66,666 gold marks, and resigned in 1893.

In 1894, at the Hermann Hotel, Maybach, Daimler, and Daimler’s son Paul designed a third engine called the “Phoenix.” DMG produced it. It had:
– Four cylinders cast in one block, arranged vertically and parallel
– Exhaust valves controlled by a camshaft
– A spray nozzle carburetor, patented by Maybach in 1893
– An improved belt drive system

This engine may be the same one described by American author Henry Brooks Adams in his autobiography, based on his visit to the 1900 Paris Exposition.

Daimler and Maybach continued working together. They built a four-cylinder engine with Maybach’s spray nozzle carburetor. This engine was used in the first organized automobile race, “Paris to Rouen,” and outperformed all entries from DMG. Frederick Simms, a German-born friend of Daimler, insisted that Daimler return to the company as a condition of paying £17,500 for the transfer of Daimler licenses to the British Daimler Company. This would help stabilize the company’s finances. Daimler, now 60 years old, returned to DMG. He received 200,000 gold marks in shares and a 100,000 gold mark bonus. Simms gained the right to use the name “Daimler” for his brand. In 1895, the year DMG assembled its 1,000th engine, Maybach returned as General Inspector and received 30,000 shares.

During this time, DMG granted licenses to build Daimler engines worldwide, including:
– France (from 1890) through Louise Sarazin: Panhard et Levassor and Peugeot
– The United States (from 1891) through Daimler Motor Company of Long Island City, in partnership with Steinway & Sons
– The United Kingdom (from 1893) through Frederick Simms’ Daimler Motor Syndicate, later transferred to the Daimler Motor Company in 1896
– Austria through Austro-Daimler

Gottlieb Daimler died in 1900. In 1907, Maybach resigned from DMG.

Founding of Daimler-Benz

In 1885, Daimler created the first vehicle powered by liquid petroleum. A few months later, Karl Benz designed the first car specifically built for use, which used a 2-cycle engine he invented. Daimler and Karl Benz did not meet during this time. In 1896, Daimler (from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, or DMG) filed a lawsuit against Benz & Cie for using a patent Daimler had registered in 1883 for hot tube ignition. Daimler won the case, and Benz was required to pay DMG fees for using the patented technology. Daimler and Benz did not meet during the court trial in Mannheim. Later, when the Central European Motor Car Association was founded, Daimler and Benz still did not speak to each other.

After Daimler’s death, the two companies worked together in many ways over time. On June 28, 1926, representatives from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie signed an agreement to merge the two oldest car manufacturers in the world. The new company formed from this merger was named Daimler-Benz AG.

Honours

Gottlieb Daimler was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1978. From 1993 to July 2008, a stadium in Stuttgart, Germany, was named after him. The stadium, called the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, hosted six matches during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Gottlieb Daimler's motto was "Das Beste oder nichts" ("The best or nothing at all"; "Nothing but the best"). Mercedes-Benz used this motto as their slogan in 2010.