A horseless carriage rattled through Mannheim's streets in 1886 and changed transportation forever.

In Mannheim, individuals paused their activities when they heard a noise coming from the street. There was no horse to pull the three wheeled vehicle that moved past windows but the machine continued to travel forward while it produced sound. As Karl Benz sat behind the steering lever, he guided a device that had not appeared in public before this moment. To many observers, the purpose and value of the machine were not but clear.

By 29 January 1886, Benz had received a patent for his invention, which he named the Benz Patent Motorwagen. It was difficult to construct the machine and it was also difficult to show that the device functioned in an outdoor setting. On 3 July 1886, he steered it through Mannheim for the first time on the ring road - this event was an early instance where a person operated a vehicle that used an internal combustion engine for power in front of witnesses.

For the observer the Motorwagen did not look like a vehicle from the present day. It consists of a frame with three wheels, wheels with metal spokes, an engine with one cylinder located at the back and a lever for steering. With a maximum speed of approximately 10 km/h, the vehicle is slow. When the driver needs to stop, they must pull a hand lever that forces a leather pad against the rear wheels.

Due to the demonstration, people who watched expressed both interest and doubt. Some individuals felt that the machine was notable but others did not believe that such a device is useful for daily tasks. At that time many people thought that vehicles using steam were a more reliable technology. To some observers, the machine by Benz is an unusual test and is not the beginning of a different period in history.

The significance of the Motorwagen is more apparent because of an event in August 1888. During this time Bertha Benz drove one of the vehicles for a long distance between Mannheim & Pforzheim. She traveled without informing Karl Benz before she left. By making this trip, she demonstrated that the car is not a mechanical novelty for brief displays. It is a machine that people can use for daily tasks.

As a result of this journey, the period of automobile use began. To observers the vehicle is no longer merely an unusual device that makes noise in Mannheim. For the first time, it is a practical example that a road vehicle with its own engine is a functional method to move people and goods from one place to another.