21 May 2020
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Ixo 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen - black/red
PRICE: £24.99
REF: CLC331N
SCALE: 1/43
widely regarded as the world's first production motor vehicle, it was built by Karl Benz in 1885. The vehicle was allocated 1886 as its year because that's when the patent was approved. Roughly 25 were built through to 1893.
Financed largely by Benz's wife, Bertha, she took the vehicle on a famous journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim, with their two teenage sons, in 1888, to prove its worth. A round trip of some 120 miles, they stopped for fuel at a pharmacy on the way, making it the first filling station in history! During the journey, she also had a local shoemaker line the brake pads with leather, to compensate for the wear incurred, and thus brake linings were born too!
I saw one of these incredible vehicles when I went to the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Ixo's model is a lovely reminder of that visit. An engineering masterpiece, the model is a great tribute with some incredible detail. Largely plastic, it does have a diecast chassis and all the main parts are there to see.