Daimler: First combustion test in a boat
MOBILITY ON WATER The high-speed internal combustion engine celebrated its premiere in 1886 as a boat propulsion system on the Neckar River. In the same year, developer Daimler applied for a patent for the engine drive first for ships. No sail and not rowed by muscle power. For observers on the shore in August 1886, it was a mystery what power the boat on the Neckar [...]
No sail and not rowed by muscle power. For observers on the banks of the river in August 1886, it was a mystery what power propelled the boat along the Neckar. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach's internal combustion engine was at work in the small boat; Daimler brought the drive to the water even before the first trip in the automobile.
In the summer of 1886, Daimler equipped three boats with the small single-cylinder engine, which was also called a grandfather clock because of its peculiar shape. The engine, which Daimler and Maybach had been working on in Cannstatt since 1882, proved its worth as a boat drive.
Wilhelm Maybach presented the Daimler boat
In October 1886, Daimler applied for a patent for his "Device for operating the propeller shaft of a ship by means of a gas or petroleum engine".
The corresponding DRP 39367 was issued on June 1, 1887, in the United States of America even as early as April 26, 1887. After that, the PR work started: Wilhelm Maybach presented the compact Daimler motorboat in Frankfurt, with which he caused a sensation at a rowing regatta as the "King of Designers".
Rapid upswing in series production
The production of motorboats then began in 1888, for which the company built its own shipyard in Bad Cannstatt. The hulls were supplied by boat builders, and Daimler assembled the engines and propulsion system. The motorboat built in 1888 for the family of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck also resulted from this production.
Benz & Cie. also produced boat engines. The first Benz motorboat was already sailing on the Spree in 1887. After the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft with Benz & Cie. in 1926, Daimler-Benz AG continued to supply internal combustion engines for boat propulsion well into the 20th century. A highlight of this development were two boats owned by former Daimler-Benz major shareholder Herbert Quandt.
Interfaces with sporting watercraft
Even today there are interfaces from Mercedes to sporty watercraft. Since 2010, the brand's designers have been creating the design for mobility, lifestyle and interior design products under the Mercedes-Benz Style label. One impressive result in 2016 is the luxury motor yacht Arrow 460 Granturismo from Silver Arrows Marine.
