History and philosophy of MERCEDES BENZ; MErCEDES BENZ MUSEUM (part 3)

Gottlieb Daimler is born on 17 March 1834 in Schorndorf. After training as a gunsmith and working in France, he attends the Polytechnic School in Stuttgart from 1857 to 1859. After completing various technical activities in France and England, he starts work as a draftsman in Geislingen in 1862. At the end of 1863, he is appointed workshop inspector in a machine tool factory in Reutlingen, where he meets Wilhelm Maybach in 1865. In 1872, he becomes Technical Director of the gas engine manufacturer Deutz Gasmotorenfabrik, where he becomes familiar with Otto’s four-stroke technology. After differences with the Managing Director, he leaves the company in 1882. Daimler sets up a development workshop in his greenhouse at his Cannstatt villa to concentrate on developing petrol-driven four-stroke engines. Working with Wilhelm Maybach in 1884, he develops an internal combustion engine known today as the 'Grandfather Clock'. With its compact, low-weight design, the machine forms the basis for installation in a vehicle. The costs of trial operations soon consume Daimler’s entire fortune, however, so he is obliged to find business partners. He founds 'Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft' on 28 November 1890 together with Max Duttenhofer and his business partner Wilhelm Lorenz. But while Duttenhofer wants to produce stationary engines, Daimler prefers to focus on vehicle production, and a dispute ensues.