In 1893, Carl Benz developed the principle of Ackermann steering to production maturity and equipped a four-wheeled automobile with it for the first time. The new technology made driving a car considerably safer and more comfortable than with the previously used turntable steering, in which the entire front axle pivoted around a pivot point like a horse-drawn vehicle. The risk of tipping is particularly high on tight bends. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach also developed an alternative to turntable steering for their steel-wheeled car of 1889.
In the Victoria, both front wheels are steered independently of each other, their tracks converging at the center of the curve. It is literally a pioneering invention. Visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum can see the innovative steering system of the Mannheim automobile inventor: on the Benz Victoria from 1893 in the "Myth 1: Pioneers - The Invention of the Automobile" room.
The body of the Benz Victoria resembles a carriage. But the new steering technology points to the future. It is steered using a horizontal crank positioned in the center of the vehicle on top of the vertical steering column. The column transmits the steering impulse to a horizontal cross rod, which in turn moves two longitudinally arranged rods that run side by side under the vehicle body up to the front axle and move in opposite directions. At the height of the front axle, the steering impulse is again transferred from a cross rod to a vertical shaft. This decouples the steering from the shocks of the roads, which were usually poor at the time, in two ways: via a coil spring and a leaf spring at right angles to the direction of travel. Finally, the two tie rods lead from the leaf spring to the front wheels, which are guided in a fork axle.
Early customer
Baron Theodor von Liebieg visited Carl Benz in Mannheim in 1893, was impressed by the Victoria and ordered one of these vehicles. It was delivered in the spring of 1894 - by rail, as was customary at the time for such long distances. Liebieg, who was just 22 years old at the time, was fascinated by the new means of transportation and wanted to use it for more than just his home region. So, 130 years ago, he boldly decided to undertake an almost 1000-kilometer automobile journey to Gondorf in the Eifel.
The Mercedes-Benz Classic archives preserve a valuable document from this extraordinary journey: the original, detailed and richly illustrated diary. It provides detailed and lavishly designed information about the experiences of Liebieg and his companion Franz Stransky on this "journey by Benz from Bohemia to the Moselle beach", as it says on the front cover of the diary.
In the tradition of Bertha Benz
Liebieg and Stransky set off on July 16, 1894. Just under six years had passed since Bertha Benz made her first overland journey in an automobile. In August 1888, Carl's wife and their two sons drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim in a Benz Patent Motor Car Model 3, demonstrating the potential of the automobile for individual mobility.
From 1888 to 1894, technology developed considerably. But Liebieg's long-distance journey is still extremely challenging. The roads were not designed for the new means of transportation and there was still no reliable infrastructure for fuel supply. The travelers buy petrol from pharmacies or drugstores along the way and fill it into the shiny brass tank above the front axle. The average consumption of their Benz Victoria is more than 20 liters per 100 kilometers. After six stages with a total driving time of 69 hours, they arrive in Gondorf, 939 kilometers away.
Historical photos show how similar von Liebieg's automobile is to the Benz Victoria on display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Narrow wooden-spoked wheels with a smaller diameter at the front than at the rear, block brakes for deceleration, chain drive of the rear axle, a high seating position and a folding top characterize the vehicle. The horizontal single-cylinder engine produces 2.9 kW (4 hp) from a displacement of 1990 cubic centimetres. The museum vehicle, which is one year older, still has 2.2 kW (3 hp) from 1726 cubic centimeters. In addition, von Liebieg equipped his Victoria with a third lantern at the front. The Baron's original vehicle is now on display at the Technical Museum in Prague.
Night stage to Mannheim
The young aristocrat was not only enthusiastic about technology, but also about the freedom of motorized individual mobility that it made possible. He wrote in his diary: "We chose a vehicle that would free us from petty hassles and leave us to our own devices. It was the petrol motor car of the ingenious Benz in Mannheim."
On July 20, 1894, von Liebieg and his travel companion arrive in Mannheim. Behind the duo lies a two-day stage including an overnight journey - by far the longest distance in one go on this trip. The first port of call is the birthplace of Victoria. Theodor von Liebieg: "We drive straight to the Benz & Cie. factory, where H. [Friedrich] von Fischer and H. [Carl] Benz are already waiting for us; both are absolutely delighted with our daring venture and the happy outcome. The car had covered 282 kilometers in the last 26 hours, a distance that no one had ever undertaken on such a vehicle."
The diary from 1894 is an impressive document about early long-distance journeys by automobile. It also bears witness to Benz & Cie's pronounced service mentality: during the stops in Mannheim on the outward and return journeys, Baron Liebieg's vehicle was given an extensive inspection. And after a breakdown during the stay of several weeks on the Moselle, where the Baron undertook numerous excursions, a Benz mechanic arrived and carried out the necessary work.
A friendly farewell
On the way back, automobile designer Benz and his family even escort the customer home. "On Sunday, we started our journey home again accompanied by the whole Benz family, who drove with us as far as Gernsheim. At the last bottle of Moselle, we said our goodbyes, and after photographing the two cars, we drove on alone towards Offenbach." In total, von Liebieg and his Victoria covered around 2,500 kilometers on this trip to the Moselle and back.
The "Benz journey" made by the manufacturer's son in 1894 is important proof that the automobile is suitable for journeys over very long distances. In the same year, the same idea gave rise to a new form of competition in France: motor racing. Vehicles with Daimler-licensed engines won the first automobile race from Paris to Rouen. Theodor von Liebieg is also involved in motor sport. Among other things, he took part in the first automobile race through the Alps in 1898 and won the first international race in Vienna in 1899 with a Benz 8 hp racing car.
