Daimler riding carriage marks 140 years of motorised mobility

Mercedes-Benz Museum presents replica of Daimler's 1885 riding carriage, the first motorcycle, celebrating 140 years of motorised mobility on 31 August 2025.

One hundred and forty years ago, Gottlieb Daimler set a milestone in transport history. On 29 August 1885 he filed a patent for a “riding carriage” powered by a gasoline engine — the world’s first motorcycle. Today this experimental vehicle, known as the Daimler Reitwagen, marks the birth of individual motorised mobility.

Together with Wilhelm Maybach, Daimler developed a compact single-cylinder four-stroke engine of 264 cc, nicknamed the “grandfather clock” because of its shape. Producing just 0.5 hp at 600 rpm, it was nevertheless revolutionary: lightweight, efficient and suitable for road use. Its glow-tube ignition, heated by a small separate fuel tank, symbolised a new era of engineering.

The Reitwagen combined traditional craftsmanship with technical innovation. A wooden frame and iron-rimmed wheels resembled a carriage, while a leather belt transmitted power to an intermediate shaft. Two pulley sets offered two fixed speeds — around 6 and 12 km/h. To maintain balance, support wheels were added, since the frame geometry lacked the stability of modern motorcycles.

On 10 November 1885, Daimler’s son rode the Reitwagen for a three-kilometre journey between Cannstatt and Untertürkheim. Accounts differ whether it was Paul or Adolf who sat in the saddle first, but the fact remains: a two-wheeler with a combustion engine had successfully taken to the road.

The original Reitwagen was destroyed in June 1903 during a fire at the Daimler plant in Cannstatt. Only reconstructions based on the patents and drawings survive. Authentic replicas are on display in several museums, including the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, where it is part of the “Pioneers — The Invention of the Automobile” gallery.

The little engine soon powered other vehicles: a motorised coach in 1886, boats, railcars and even an airship by 1888. In this sense, the Reitwagen was not just the first motorcycle but the stepping stone to the automobile and to motorisation across different modes of transport.

On 31 August 2025, the Mercedes-Benz Museum will bring the Reitwagen to life once again. At the Classics & Coffee event, visitors can watch the replica climb the museum hill. Modest as it may look, this machine embodies the vision that reshaped the modern world: motorised freedom on land, water and in the air.