Drive like it’s 1885: What it’s like to take the tiller of the first car, a Benz Patent-Motorwagen
just like the real thing, and I'm told that the dimensions and the mechanical layout are identical. Carl Benz restored the original Patent-Motorwagen in 1906 and donated it to the Deutsche Museum in Munich. It's still there today.
There's not much of an interior, either. Before you sit in the Patent-Motorwagen, let alone take it for a spin, it's interesting to notice how little it shares with the commonly accepted definition of a modern car. If it rains, you're wet. If you've got a suitcase to take with you, tough luck. If you want to know how fast you're going, take a guess. Relax: It's not like there were speed limits to respect in those days.
With this in mind, the first step is to ensure that several points are properly lubricated. Next, manually bring fuel into the carburetor; a small glass cylinder on top of the carburetor allows you to check the fuel level, though it's not easy to see and you may need to shake the car a few times to get an accurate reading. Next on your to-do list is to verify the water level and top it off if needed.
Driving the Patent-Motorwagen in a straight line, on flat ground, and with no obstacles is like the first level in a Mario game: Do it once to get the basics down and you can do it blindfolded. With a top speed on par with a high-end riding lawn mower's, the odds of getting into trouble are mercifully low. Braking is approximate at best, it takes a few tries to learn the lever's response, but turning is a different story.
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