Gottlieb Daimler (17 March 1834 – 6 March 1900) was a German mechanical engineer, who is most noted for his invention of the internal combustion engine and the development of the modern automobile. He was born in Schorndorf, Germany and established an industrial work shop there in 1850. After completing his education in a technical school, he began to work in the shop in 1854, creating small-scale gas engines for various industrial applications. He then continued to design and build a variety of piston-driven engines, eventually making a four-wheel, one-cylinder, gas-powered carriage in 1883. This was the first four-wheel automobile and an important event in the history of automobile development.
Daimler continued to work on the development of new engines, some of which were larger, higher-compression units, which provided the power to propel larger cars, buses and trucks. In 1885, he established the first production car plant in Cannstatt, Germany and continued to develop and patent numerous other engine technologies as well.
One of Daimler’s most significant accomplishments was the development of the “high-speed” internal combustion engine. This was a four-stroke engine that allowed for very high revolutions per minute (rpm), which ultimately provided the power needed to propel vehicles at much higher speeds.
Daimler’s focus was also on establishing better production and manufacturing systems that enabled the efficient production of cars on a large scale. He also developed sophisticated transmissions and various types of fuel-injection systems. He established the Daimler Moteren Gesellschaft in 1890 to produce automobiles. This would eventually form the foundation of the modern automobile industry.
During his life, Daimler held over 100 different patents and became a renowned engineer, consultant, and professor. He received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to automotive engineering and manufacturing, including numerous honorary degrees from universities across Europe and the United States. In 1892, a special medal was sculpted in his honor, as an expression of appreciation for his lifetime achievements.
Gottlieb Daimler was one of the first innovators of the automotive industry and his inventions remain integral to the modern automobile. He pushed the boundaries of engineering to develop powerful and reliable engines, which ultimately propelled the automotive industry into its modern iteration. Many modern automobiles still use similar technologies that Daimler developed over one hundred years ago. He was a renowned engineer and his contributions to the automotive industry are recognized and honored around the world.
