Today in history: Wilhelm Maybach

Hello Steemians!

Welcome to today's episode of the "Today in History" serial, where I bring you daily historical facts and events of the current date.

On February 9. 1846. Wilhelm Maybach, the designer of the first Mercedes automobile was born!

He was born in Heilbronn, and moved to Stuttgart when he was 8 years old.
There he begun studying engineering and at the age of 15 started a career in Industrial design and took classes at the Reutlingen's public high school.
At the age of 19 he got taken in as the main assistant by Gottlieb Daimler, where he helped Daimler and Nikolaus Otto to develop the four-stroke engine.

Gottlieb Daimler

In 1880. Daimler and Otto had some disagreements which resulted in Daimler and Maybach taking leave from Otto's Deutz-AG company to found a new one, Daimler Motors in Cannstatt.
There they developed and patented their first engine fueled by Ligroin, in 1883.

The 1883. Daimler Maybach engine

Just two years later, in 1885. they presented their Grandfather Clock Engine, which is today regarded as the precursor of all petrol engines.

The Grandfather Clock Engine

They built their new engine into motorcycles and road vehicles, boats and even built the first motorized airship.
In 1889. Daimler and Maybach built their first automobile, which was publicly launched in October in Paris by the two inventors.

Daimler Motorkutsche 1886

In the year 1900. Daimler died and Maybach continued their work designing a brand new kind of car.
It was the birth of the Mercedes, with the first type, Mercedes 35 hp which got released in 1902.

Mercedes 35 hp

He then shifted his focus and started building zeppelin engines in 1908. but turned back to building cars in 1922. when he opened his new company, Maybach Motorenbau GmbH.
The first model was the Maybach W3, which had a 6 cylinder engine and a maximum speed of 105 km/h.

Maybach W3

Wilhelm Maybach died on 29 December 1929. in Stuttgart at the age of 83.
His company, Mayback Motorenbau GmbH continued producing engines and cars until it got merged with Mercedes-Benz in 1960's, under the name Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH, owned by Daimler-Benz.
In 1996. Wilhem Maybach got accepted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.