1911 Benz 50hp Open Tourer Coachwork

1911 Benz 50hp Open Tourer Coachwork by A. T. Demarest & Co

Gottlieb Daimler was the first man to harness, with any degree of success, a combustion engine into a road vehicle. Daimler's first four-wheeled motor driven carriage was built in 1866, and by 1890, demands for Daimler's engine made expansion necessary. Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, or Daimler Motor Company was formed.

Wealthy banker Emil Jellinek of Vienna was so impressed with the success of Daimler-built engines in the Paris-Rouen race (1894) that he purchased a controlling interest in Daimler. In 1900, Daimler created a 4-cylinder car named Mercedes, after the daughter of Emil Jellinek. For nearly five years, Jellinek held exclusive rights to the bulk of Mercedes production and carefully limited the sale of the cars to individuals of known influence. The combination of exclusivity and quality firmly established the reputation of the Mercedes automobile as synonymous with elegance and performance.

This Benz 50 HP was an incredibly expensive car in its day, costing nearly $8,500 at a time when a new Ford Model T could be purchased for under $700. This example has a 6.75-liter, 4-cylinder engine.

Descriptions & pictures by bonhams & flickr