The Lynx, Privateer of 1812

                                                       2001 Lynx, "America's Privateer"

You may be aware of the 2001 schooner Lynx which serves as a sailing classroom out of her home port in Newport Beach, California.  She is a replica of the 1812 privateer Lynx which operated along the east coast and Chesapeake Bay.  This is an article about three ships which have sailed under the name Lynx and how they relate to each other.

The schooner Lynx was in Baltimore and commissioned on July 14, 1812.  She was 97 feet long, had a beam of 24 feet, and carried six 12-pound guns.  Under a letter of marque she was an armed merchantman chartered to capture enemy merchantmen as prize during her normal course of duty.  Her crew did not depend prizes but were paid a regular wage.  After one successful voyage to France she was moored in Virginia’s Rappahannock River preparing to return to France. 

USS Constitution defeats HMS Guerriere 

Britain had long been engaged in the Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) with France.  Consequently, they blocked other nations from trading with the French.  The United States had been allied with France since the Revolutionary war in 1776 and was dependent on this relationship for much of its income.  The blockade was causing a significant decline in the financial arena.  While the British had agreed to the terms of the end of the American Revolution, they hadn’t fully accepted the idea of an independent United States.  They felt it was their right to conscript US sailors from captured merchant ships. 

                                                                     Battle of New Orleans 

This situation came to a head on June 18, 1812 when the United States declared war on Britain.  The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815.  There was no clear winner in this war.  The Treaty of Ghent, however, established the framework for US-British relations that lasts to this day.  It also documented  the method for US and Canada to sustain the world’s longest unfortified border. 

British blockade of French port 

Early in the War of 1812 a squadron of seven British ships blockaded four schooners including the Lynx in the Rappahannock River.  The squadron sent a group of boats with 105 men up the river and were successful in capturing three of the schooners and terminally damaging the fourth.  The Lynx was taken into British service and renamed HMS Mosquidobit.  The British paid about 2,000 pounds for the Lynx.

After her capture the Mosquidobit joined the blockade Chesapeake Bay.  She was then stationed in Nova Scotica.  She sailed to England in 1816 and then was part of the anti-smuggling duties in Ireland.  In 1819 she was rewarded for taking the second largest number of smugglers off the Irish coast.  In 1820 she was decommissioned and sold into private service.  There is no further record of the ship.

The Lynx was recognized as having a superior design.  The US Navy modified this design slightly and in 1814 built a new schooner also bearing the name Lynx.  She sailed with a squadron to the Mediteranean to help quell a treaty violation.  She was then assigned to Pirate patrol off the coast of Mexico.  She was lost with all hands in 1820 to a hurricane off the coast of Jamaica.

                                                           Lynx being "fired upon" by Lady Washington 

Today’s Lynx, though larger, is very similar to the 1812 Lynx.  She offers programs in history, earth and physical science, seamanship, and leadership.  She sails from California to Hawaii every summer with students acting as crew and learning about life on a sailing vessel.  She also offers occasional three hour long “battle sails” where blanks instead of cannon balls are fired at “enemy” vessels such as the Lady Washington or the Californian.

Ship Models Online offers a beautiful painted model of the Lynx along with an extensive catalog of other Quality Tall Ship Models.

References:

Lynx (Tall Ship), Wikipedia

War of 1812, Wikipedia

HMS Mosquidobit (1813), Wikipedia

The History and Origins of America's Privateer Lynx

The Story of the Wasa - Part 5, Causes, Conservation, and Legacy

                                                     Structure of the Wasa above the waterline

It is clear that the Wasa sank because she was unstable and not seaworthy.  She carried too large a percentage of weight above the waterline.  This is not the result of the weight of the armaments.  Rather it is the hull design itself which didn’t allow room for sufficient ballast.  Failed stability tests were ignored.  But there were many additional factors which contributed to the sinking.

Sweden was engaged in war with Poland.  The King desperately needed a new warship for success.  But he was unable to have direct contact with the designers and contractors of the vessel since he was out of the country.  Nonetheless, no expense was spared in building the Wasa.  Funding was not an issue.  But changing requirements and schedules were.  The Wasa was originally conceived as a small traditional vessel but became a large innovative vessel.

The changing requirements had some unintended consequences.  To expedite the construction, both Swedish and Dutch shipwright teams were used.  These teams used different measuring systems.  The Swedish foot measures 12 inches while the Dutch foot measured only 11 inches.  This caused the ships mass to be unevenly distributed and heavier on the port side.  The addition of a second gun deck caused a conflict between seaworthiness and military firepower.  This resulted in an unavoidably large amount of weight above the waterline.

                                                Upper and Lower Gun Ports of the Wasa 

Even then the Wasa probably would not have sunk if her gun ports had been closed.  The normal procedure was for vessels with multi-tiered gun decks was to sail with the gun ports closed.  It was not unusual for wind pressure to push the lower row of gun ports below the water.  It is believed Wasa’s gun ports were open in order to fire celebratory shots as part of the maiden voyage send off.  It was too late to save the Wasa by closing her gun ports after she began taking on water.

Wasa Lion Figurehead as recovered 

Even though the Wasa was in remarkable condition after spending 330 years submerged in the Baltic Sea, allowing her to dry out by simply bring her to the surface would have caused a greatly accelerated rate of deterioration.  There have been numerous research projects to determine the optimum way to preserve the ship and its contents.  Special buildings were constructed to house the Wasa and facilitate keeping her hydrated.  The primary method of conservation was impregnation of the entire vessel with polyethylene glycol (PEG).  She was continuously sprayed with PEG for a period of 17 years.  This has been followed by a long period of controlled slow drying under stringent temperature and humidity control.

                                                     Wasa Lion Figurehead as restored 

The Wasa currently resides in the Wasa Museum in Stockholm.  The goal of this museum is to present the vessel and a nearly original condition for public display.  Features that needed to be rebuilt used as many original parts as possible.  It is estimated that 95% of the ship today is made up of original materials.  The Wasa quickly became a Swedish national treasure.  The ship and museum are a major tourist attraction.   The story of the Wasa has been the the subject of numerous books articles and papers.  Several children’s books have been written about her.  Custom-built models and model kits are available.

Ship Models Online offers two beautiful scratch built wooden quality tall ship models of the Wasa in different sizes.  

This is the last in a series of five blog posts relating the Story of the Wasa.  I hope you have found this series enjoyable.  I would be very interested in any comments you may have about these articles.

References include:

Vasa (ship) from Wikipedia

The Swedish Ship Vasa’s Revival by Dottie E. Mayol, Univ. of Miami

Why the Vasa Sank: 10 Lessons Learned by R. Fairley

The Harley-Davidson WLA

                                                                           US Army Harley-Davidson WLA
                                                 
The Harley-Davidson WLA is a 45 cubic inch (740 cubic centimeter) motorcycle built to US Army specifications for World War II.  The “W” family evolved from an earlier “R” family of flathead motorcycles produced between 1932 and 1936.  The “L” was Harley-Davidson’s designation for their high compression engine.  “A” indicated the motorcycle was built for the US Army.  Harley also produced a similar motorcycle for the Canadian Army designated WLC.  Additional variants were built for other US Allied forces including the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

US Army Manual diagram of HD WLA

The Army required several modifications to the W family for military use.  They were to be painted olive drab or black.  They needed to be outfitted with blackout lights.  The sides of the fenders needed to be removed in order to reduce mud build-up.  They were often equipped with a heavy-duty luggage rack for radios, an ammunition box,  a leather scabbard for a Thompson submachine gun, and a skid plate.  A windshield and leg protectors could also be added.  Mechanical modifications included an oil bath air cleaner which required only the addition of motor oil rather than a replaceable filter.  The crankcase breather was modified to reduce the intake of water into the crankcase.

While a few WLAs were produced starting in 1940, by far the majority of these motorcycles was produced after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.  As a consequence all of the serial numbers of WLAs produced after that event were given 1942 serial numbers.  Similarly, all of the WLCs were given 1943 serial numbers.  A significant number of WLAs were shipped to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program.  Production was halted at the end of World War II but resumed from 1949-1952 during the Korean War.

                                                          Army servicemen on their HD WLAs

The WLA was not used for combat or troop movement.  Instead the military used motorcycles for courier service, scouting, escorts.  Because the WLA was frequently seen as the first vehicles arriving in a convoy it was nicknamed the “Liberator” for its role in freeing occupied territories.  While the front wheel featured a springer suspension there was no suspension on the rear wheel.  Consequently it has frequently been referred to as a “hard tail”.

Peter Fonda on a "Captain America" chopper replica

There was a large surplus of WLAs after WWII.  The low cost and broad availability gave rise to the post-war biker culture.  Consequently, the chopper and other modifications became very popular.  This popularity gave Harley-Davidson to capture the lead in the US motorcycle marketplace.   (While the Indian motorcycle saw some use during WWII it never recovered from confusing market of the 1930s.)    Modification was so popular that few WLAs in near original condition survived.  Due to  limited access during the Cold War and virtually no biker culture, the Soviet Union is today’s most significant source of original parts and WLAs.

Ship Models Online offers two slightly different quality models of the 1942 Harley-Davidson WLS motorcycle.  Here are links to WLA1 and WLA2.

The Story of the Wasa - Part 4, Deterioration and Salvage

It took over two weeks for word of the sinking of the Wasa to reach the King Gustavas Adolphus in Poland.  His response was to demand the guilty parties be punished since the cause must have been “imprudence and negligence.”  The captain along with other surviving officers and crew were brought before an inquest.  The shipbuilders were also interrogated.  In the end no guilty party was found.

                                                                1734 illustration of salvage methods 

Within three days of the wreck a salvage operation was begun to raise the ship.  Two ships were positioned above the wreck.  Strong lines were attached from these surface ships to the Wasa.  The surface vessels were filled with as much water as was prudent.  The lines were tightened.  The water was then pumped out causing significant lifting force on the wreck.  This was initially successful in getting the Wasa setting on its keel, but they were unable to free it from the mud.  The salvage attempt was abandoned.

Three decades later a project was mounted to retrieve valuable items from the Wasa.  In particular more than 50 of the Wasa’s 64 guns were retrieved.  Also sculptures and other wood was salvaged.  During this process part of the deck was torn apart to gain access to the guns. There were no known further attempts at salvage until the twentieth century.

Two of Wasa's knightheads 

During more than 300 years at the bottom of the Stockholm harbor the Wasa experienced a significant amount of deterioration.  Iron bolts had been used to attach the beackhead, the sterncastle, and all of the ships sculptures.  This iron quickly rusted away and the items it held fell into the mud or onto the decks.  Only the largest cast iron objects survived – anchors, cannon balls, etc.  Wood, cloth, leather and other organic items fared better.  Objects which fell into the mud were protected from currents and sediments.  Some of the paint on sculptures in the mud survived.  Soft tissue was consumed by fish, crustaceans, and other sea life.

The most destructive force, however, was human activity.  As mentioned above much of the deck planking was removed to get to the cannons.  The Stockholm harbor is a busy shipping lane and it is clear that several ships dropped anchor on the Wasa demolishing part of the ship’s upper structure.  Construction debris was frequently dumped in the area and some of it landed on the ship.

                                                      Wasa breaking the surface after 330 years 

In August of 1956 after several years of searching an amateur archeaologist rediscovered the Wasa.  An effort was begun to attempt salvage of the ship.  Multiple methods of recovery were explored, but the final method chosen was similar to the failed attempt 330 years prior.  Using high pressure water jets, tunnels were dug under the vessel.  Steel cables were strung through these tunnels and attached to two surface pontoons.  The pontoons were filled with water, the cables tightened and the water pumped back out.  During late summer of 1959 eighteen such lifts were successful in moving the Wasa from its original depth of 105 ft. to a more sheltered area of the harbor 52 feet deep.

Wasa floating on to her concrete pontoon 

The next 18 months were spent preparing the Wasa for the final series of lifts to the surface.  Debris was removed, nail and bolt holes were plugged, the gun ports were temporarily closed off.  During 16 days in April of 1961 a series of lifts brought the Wasa to the surface.  She was towed to a dry dock and floated on her own keel onto a concrete pontoon on which she still rests.

Read the final part of the Story of theWasa - Causes, Conservation and Legacy.

A tall ship model of the Wasa is available for purchase at Ship Models Online

What is an Armillary

                                    Portrait of Wu Yong a character in the Chinese novel Water Margin

An Amillary (Amillary Sphere) is an ancient device which models the heavens.  I consists of a series of concentric rings, some fixed and some moveable.  The center of these rings was a sphere representing center of the universe.  Until the time of Copernicus in the 16^th Century this sphere was an earth globe.  As a result of Conpernicus’ theories an Amillary was developed with the central sphere representing the sun.  Consequently, an Amillary with a central earth sphere is known as Ptolemaic and an Amillary with a central sun sphere is known as Copernican.

Drawing of a mechanically-rotated Armillary from 1092

The origin of the Amillary is unknown but they were widely in use in both Greece and China by the first Century B.C.  By the 8^th Century Persian and Arab astronomers had modified and improved the device.  Korean inventors made additional improvements during the 15^th Century.  An Amillary activated by a clock mechanism was built in Korea in the 17^th Century and still survives today.  Modern technology has made the Armilary obsolete for precise, practical astronomical observations.  Today it is an object of art, a historic model of the celestial universe, a historic mechanical computational device, a training device, and a conversation piece.

                                                                      Botticelli painting of an Armillary from 1480

An Armillary has two exterior bands surrounding the inner cage.  A wide, horizontal band representing the viewer’s horizon is fixed and parallel to the floor.  A vertical rotating ring  represents the meridian or azimuth.  Moving this ring allows the viewer to adjust the latitude.  These rings are engraved with degrees of the compass. 

The basket inside these two rings contains the representation of the earth with its axis running through the poles and attached to the appropriate points on the horizontal exterior band.  The basket’s center ring represents the equator while the two horizontal rings are the Tropic of Cancer (22.5 degrees north of the equator) and the Tropic of Capricorn (22.5 degrees south of the equator).  The wide band surrounding the inner cage represents the path of the sun and other celestial bodies.

Sculpture of Roger Bacon holding an Armillary 

The Armillary represents ancient celestial astronomy.  It was used to make astronomical observations of the heavens.  Modifications were additions to the Armillary for use as a navigational aid.  Viewing tubes were added in order to make more precise measurements.  Prior to the development of the telescope in the 17^th Century, the Armillary was the primary instrument used by astronomers to determine their celestial position.  It has been equipped with mechanical clocks to facilitate movement of the rings for continuous celestial predictions.  It can be thought of as an early analog computer.

Ship Models Online offers a variety of Amillaries shown on its Armillaries and Globes category.  The price for two of these items is discounted during our February sale.

The English Ship Fairfax

The English ship Fairfax was originally commissioned in 1650.  By mid 1650 she saw action against French ships in the English Channel.  During 1651 she was Captain Penn’s flagship patrolling the Mediterranean.  By February of 1653 she had returned to England.  During that time she was accidentally set afire and burned to the waterline. 

                                               Abraham Willaerts painting "Action in the first Dutch War"

Immediately following the fire a new ship Fairfax was commissioned and built on the unburnt portion of the original ship.  The new Fairfax was a third rate frigate of the Navy of the Commonwealth of England.  She was re-commissioned as the HMS Fairfax when the English monarchy was restored in 1660.  In 1673 the Fairfax struck a reef off the English coast.  Even though she was re-floated, she was damaged beyond reasonable repair.  She was taken apart and her timbers were re-used in other vessels. 

The Fairfax had a keel length of 120 feet and a beam of 35 feet in width.  She was a full rigged speaker class frigate.  (In the 17^th Century the term frigate was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability.)   Her original complement of 52 guns was increased to 66 guns in 1666 and increased again to 72 guns in 1672.  Similarly her crew of 220 men was increased to 300 in 1666 and to 400 in 1672.

Robert Blake's flagship George at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 

She was launched in 1653 and saw her first service in the First Anglo-Dutch War which ended in 1654.  This war was fought entirely at sea over a trade dispute between England and the Netherlands.

During the Anglo- Spanish War (1654-60) the Fairfax was a member of Admiral Robert Blake’s fleet of 23 warships .  During that war she played a key role in the 1657 Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  This battle resulted in the scuttling of two Spanish Galleons and nine Spanish merchant ships leaving only 5 other Spanish vessels afloat.  Those five ships also surrendered to Blake’s fleet.

                                                                                Admiral Robert Blake

For he last thirteen years the Fairfax saw service as part of Lord Sandwich’s Mediterranean fleet.  Between 1661 and 1662 she patrolled off Tangier and Algiers.  In 1665 she participated in the Battle of the Lowestoft during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.  During that battle the English fleet of 109 ships routed the Dutch fleet of 103 vessels.  The English fleet was significantly more powerful than the Dutch fleet with larger ships, and more guns in number and size.  The Dutch fleet lost nearly 20 vessels while the English only lost one.  The Fairfax saw 8 more years of service with the Royal Navy before the grounding off the English coast ended her career and caused her to be taken apart and reused.

Tall Ship Model of the HMS Fairfax

Ship Models Online offers a 34" Quality Tall Ship Model of the HMS Fairfax .  This is a beautiful, museum quality model.  You'll be proud to display her in your home or office.

John Winthrop's Flagship Arabella

In the early 17^th Century under King James I the Puritans were in the midst of a major conflict with the Church of England.  They felt the Church needed to be moved toward a more Reformed theology which emphasized preaching rather than ritual.  Consequently the adopted Calvinism.  When Charles I became king in 1625 the conflict worsened.  King Charles temporarily dissolved parliament in 1626 as a result of this conflict.  In 1629 he dissolved it permanently instead relying on Personal Rule.  This led to the “Great Migration” of Puritans to New England.      
                                        King James I of England

                                                                                                                                   

A small colony, about 300 people, had settled in Salem in 1626 governed by John Endicott.    A group of wealthy leaders were able to obtain a Royal Charter in 1629 for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  An “advance party” of about 300 colonists and five ships left for New England in late 1629.  The leaders remained for a time in England in order to develop a more detailed plan for the new colony.  The elected John Winthrop to be Governor of the Fleet and of the Colony.

John Winthrop Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

John Winthrop, aboard his flagship the Arabella, accompanied by a three ship escort left England on April 8, 1630.  The remainder of the fleet, seven additional ships, followed in a few weeks.  All together the 11 ship fleet carried about 1000 Puritans, primarily families with women and children, along with livestock and necessary provisions for the new colony.  It is said there was three times as much alcohol (about 10,000 gallons of wine) on board as water most of which was consumed on the six week voyage.  Their arrival in New England gave legal birth to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Arabella was originally known as the Eagle.  The name was changed in honor of Lady Arabella Johnson, daughter of Thomas Clinton, 3^rd Earl of Lincoln, who was a member of the company.  John Winthrop is said to have given his famous “A Model of Christian Charity” sermon from the deck of the Arabella.  The six week crossing from Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight to Plymouth was mostly uneventful.

                                     Painting by William Halsall  Arrival of the Winthrop Colony

For the month of February, 2017 Ship Models Online is offering its tall ship model of John Winthrop’s Arabella for a discount of $110 from our regular price.  For more details click here.

The Story of the Wasa - Part 3, Armaments and Ornamentation

Armaments

While the Wasa was heavily armed, other warships in the Baltic carried more gunnery.  Still, she was likely the most powerful warship of the time due to her ability to place more cannon fire from a single side of the ship.  The King’s instructions to the shipwrights were to build the Wasa with devastating firepower in order to sink the enemy ships rather than to disable and board them. 

During construction, the King made frequent changes in the number, size and placement of guns on the ship.  The configuration ranged from thirty-six 24-pound guns on the lower deck with twenty-four 12-pound guns on the upper deck, to thirty 24-pound guns on the lower deck with thirty 12-pound guns on the upper deck.  Finally, the order was given for thirty-two (a total of sixty-four) 24-pound guns on both the upper and lower decks.  While this provided more firepower and standardized the ammunition, it also further raised the center of gravity of the vessel. 

Unlike other ships of the day, the Wasa boasted all newly manufactured cannons and other guns.  Sweden had a mountain that contained a vast supply of copper ore.  This copper allowed for casting new, lighter weight bronze cannons.  Wasa's cannons weighed nearly 100 tons.  They manufactured two hundred and fifty six cannons for the four ships the King commissioned.  However, due to manufacturing delays, Sweden launched Wasa with only forty-eight of the 24-pound guns evenly divided between the two decks.

Ornamentation

The exterior of warships of the Baroque era was frequently highly decorated.  These decorations served two primary purposes; the ornamental sculptures served to authenticate the monarch’s wealth, wisdom and authority, and they would belittle, intimidate and taunt the enemy sailors.  Inspiration for Wasa’s sculptures arose from a variety of sources including Egypt, the Old Testament, and Roman and Grecian antiquity.  Many of the sculptures were quite grotesque, adding to the enemy’s horror.  In contrast to the exterior, the interior of the ship was quite sparse.

Six expert sculptors, along with many assistants, fashioned the sculptures over a two-year period, carving them from oak, pine and/or linden and were painted in vivid colors.  For the larger sculptures, they employed multiple pieces of wood bolted together.  Nearly 500 sculptures decorated the Wasa, with many already recovered and restored

Read Part 4 of the Story of the Wasa  – Deterioration and Salvage.

Ship Models Online offers two Wasa tall ship models as well as models of other tall ships of the same era.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship)

The story of the Benz Patent Motorwagen – the start of the automobile era

I’ve long been fascinated by the unusual automobile model of the 1886 Benz car which we carry in the Ship Models Online catalog.  I thought it was time to find out just how this vehicle came into being.  Here’s the story of the Benz Patent Motorwagen.

Karl Benz was an engineer, designer and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical motorcar.  His Motorwagen grew out of a fascination with internal combustion engines and a love of bicycles.  The Motorwagen’s wire spocked wheels were dramatically different from other self powered vehicles of the time and bear testimony to Karl’s love of the bicycle.  This story, however, is as much about Karl’s wife, Bertha, her imagination and initiative, as it is about Karl.

Karl Benz in the early 1900s

Karl was born in 1944 in a small section of what is now Karlsruhe, Germany.  He was an exceptional student and graduated from the University of Karlsruhe with a degree in mechanical engineering at the age of 19.  It was during his student years riding a bicycle to the University that he became enthralled with the idea of a “horseless carriage”.  He spent the next seven years working for a variety of companies and gaining experience, but not a calling.

Next Karl and an associate went into partnership to form the Iron Foundry and Mechanical Workshop in Mannheim.  His partner, however, was lacking in discipline and business skills.  Karl’s fiancée, Bertha Ringer, bought out his partner with part of her dowry.  They were married a few month’s later.  Under Karl’s leadership the factory a developed new, reliable two stroke gasoline engine.  He continued to innovate around his engine and patented a speed regulation system, an ignition system using sparks from a battery, the spark plug, the carburetor, the clutch, the gear shift and the water radiator cooling system.

Benz needed to secure capital to continue his innovations.  The banks forced him into an associated with a photographer and a cheese merchant which turned out to be totally unsatisfactory for Karl.  He then went into partnership with the owners of a bicycle repair shop in Mannheim to form a new company producing industrial machines.  This company quickly grew to 25 employees.

As the demands from this new business became lighter, Karl turned to the development of the vision of his college days.  He used much of the bicycles technology to develop an automobile.  It featured wire spocks instead of wood, Karl’s newly designed four stroke engine, and a chain drive.  The Benz Patent Motorwagen was granted a patent in 1886.  Benz continued to modify and improve the Motorwagen and took it to the 1887 Paris Expo.

Commercial sales began in 1888.  The second customer, a Parisian bicycle manufacturer, had a previous relationship with Benz and became licensed to sell the new Motorwagen.  Consequently, most of the initial sales were in Paris.

Bertha Ringer in 1871 the year

prior to her marriage to Karl Benz 

In 1888 Bertha Benz felt the need to push Karl into more aggressive commercial development of his invention.  So she conspired with two of their sons to field test the Motorwagen.  Unbeknownst to Karl, they took one of the two completed models on a round trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim some 65 miles away.  They encountered numerous problems along the way which Bertha ingeniously solved.  They stopped at pharmacies to get gasoline (it was sold as a cleaning solution), she cleared a clogged fuel line with a hatpin, she insulated a frayed ignition wire with her garter, she even developed the first brake pad by having a shoemaker attach leather to the brakes.  Because of this trip Karl finally realized that they had a finished product.  The Motorwagan was a dazzling success in Munich and the automobile had won a place in the public's heart.  Today the Bertha Benz Memorial Route follows the path of this trip.  It is generally recognized as the world's oldest automobile road.

Of course the story doesn’t end there.  It was just beginning.  One rather interesting item deserves further discussion.  In 1926 the Benz manufacturing company merged with Karl’s primary competition the Daimler motor works (DMG).  In 1902 DMG’s was commissioned to build a new engine by Emil Jellinek who insisted that the new engine be named after his daughter, Mercedes.  Today we still remember her when we see the long list of Mercedes-Benz automobiles.

                                                                  Carl and Bertha Benz 

                                                                  in a Benz Motorwagen in 1914

Ship Models Online offers a beautiful automobile model of the original 1886 Benz Motorwagen.  Displaying this model in your home or office will remind you and your friends just how far the era of the automobile has come in little more than 125 years.