Art · Technology · 1844–1929

Carl Benz — Age, Birthday & Biography

Born: 25 November 1844 · Died: 4 April 1929 · Age at death: 84

How old was Carl Benz when he died?

Carl Benz died aged 84. He was born on 25 November 1844 and died on 4 April 1929.

German engineer who built the Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1885, widely regarded as the first practical petrol-powered car

Did you know?His wife, Bertha, completed the first long-distance car journey to prove the vehicle was a viable method of transport.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth25 November 1844
  • Date of death4 April 1929
  • Age at death84
  • Cause of deathHereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy
  • NationalityGerman
  • BirthplaceMühlburg, Germany
  • Occupationengineer, inventor

Editor's Take:

Carl Benz built the first practical motor car. Born near Karlsruhe, he was the son of a train driver who died when Carl was two. He trained as an engineer and set up his own workshop. In 1886 he patented his three-wheeled Motorwagen, powered by a petrol engine. Few people believed in it. In 1888 his wife Bertha took it, without telling him, on a 106-kilometre drive to her mother's house. It proved the car worked. His firm later became part of Mercedes-Benz.

Carl (or Karl) Friedrich Benz (German:; born Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant; 25 November 1844 – 4 April 1929) was a German engine designer and automotive engineer. His Benz Patent-Motorwagen from 1885 is considered the first practical, modern automobile and the first car to be put into series production.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Carl Benz: Inventor of the Motor Car

German engineer, 1844–1929

Carl Benz was born in Mühlburg, Karlsruhe, on 25 November 1844.

He patented the Motorwagen in 1886.

His wife Bertha drove it 106 km in 1888.

His firm later merged into Daimler-Benz.

Career highlights

  1. 1871Workshop: founded
  2. 1886Motorwagen: patent
  3. 1888Bertha Benz: first long drive
  4. 1893Victoria: car
  5. 1926Daimler-Benz: merger

Did you know?Bertha took the car without telling him.

Age at death
84
Years since death
97

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Frequently asked questions

When is Carl Benz's birthday?
Carl Benz's birthday is November 25. He was born on November 25, 1844 in Mühlburg, Germany.
How old was Carl Benz when he died?
Carl Benz died on April 4, 1929, aged 84.
Who shares a birthday with Carl Benz?
Famous people who share Carl Benz's November 25 birthday include John XXIII, Lope de Vega, Augusto Pinochet, Andrew Carnegie and Xabi Alonso.

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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026