"Daimler Motor-Cycle 1885 (Copy Model)"

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

1885

Keywords

Photographic prints 

Photographs 

Motorcycles 

Daimler, Gottlieb, 1834-1900 

Collection Title

Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Photograph Collection 

Object ID

P.1774.X.121

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of the Family of Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 5.75 in  (8.125" w/ attached sheet )

Width: 8 in  (13.375"w/ attached sheet)

Inscriptions

Text printed below image: Daimler-Niederrad von 1885, das erste Motorrad der Welt / 20572 / Mercedes-Benz Fotodienst Handwritten on image: Benz #3 Handwritten in pencil on back: Apr 1955 Typewritten sheet affixed to photo reads: [...nger Cars / Daimler Motor-Cycle 1885 (Copy model) / The original design of this motor-cycle was also destroyed during the fire / at the Cannstatt Factory in 1903. With this first motor-cycle of the / world, Gottlieb Daimler proved the quality and suitability of the world's / first high-speed internal combustion engine designed by him as a drive / unit for vehicles. Without any examples to go by Gottlieb Daimler / built a model, which anticipated essential principles of motor-cycle / construction up to the present. / The vertical 1-cylinder engine had an output of 1/2 H.P. at 700 rpm. / ( bore: 58 mm, stroke: 100 mm, cyl, cap: 264 cc.) with surface carberettor (sic). The high number of revolutions Daimler attained by the free / ignition through the uncontrolled glow pipe. With this method the gas-air / mixture ignites at a small pipe at the cylinder head kept glowing by a / flame and closed against the outside. The cylinders were cooled by a / flame and closed against the outside. The cylinders were cooled by an air / stream directed from bottom to top, generated by a fan at the crank axis. There was also a muffler for silencing, furthermore a two-speed belt- / driven gear. Two small sprung supporting wheels were provided for parking / the vehicle as well as for starting the engine by means of a crank. This / motor-cycle (weight: 90 kg) reached a speed of 6 resp. 12 km/h depending / on the gears engaged.