Learn about the fascinating history of the motorcar with a self-guided tour of the Gottlieb Daimler Memorial. Inside this old greenhouse, Gottlieb Daimler and his engineering partner Wilhelm Maybach worked on the four-stroke gasoline engine in 1883. This machine was the precursor of today’s petrol-driven engines.
In 1882 Daimler moved into a villa in the Canstatt district of Stuttgart and converted its greenhouse into a workshop. Here, the two men labored night and day for several years, developing and testing a number of important innovations. Their plan was to create a universal engine that could be used to power vehicles on land, water and in the air.
See the workbench where Daimler and Maybach assembled their engines. View engineering blueprints and some of Daimler's tools. Study the full-sized replica of the Grandfather Clock engine that was patented in 1885. This was an improved version of their first engine.
Examine the model of the world's first automobile which was powered by the Grandfather Clock engine.
Look at the model of the "riding car," the world's first motorcycle. Note the metal-clad wooden wheels. Daimler and Maybach also built their motor into the world's first motorboat "Neckar." A model of the vessel is also on display at the memorial.
The pioneering pair conducted their work in secrecy, arousing the suspicions of a gardener who contacted the police. Officers raided the workshop suspecting that Daimler and Maybach were running a counterfeit coin operation, but instead they found tools and engine components.
The Gottlieb Daimler Memorial is open every day except Mondays. Admission is free. The memorial is no longer on private grounds, but situated at the southern end of Kurpark, a public park a short distance from the city centre. There is a tram stop a short walk away. Free car parking is available in nearby streets, although parking spaces can be difficult to find.
