Benz Velo Comfortable
The delicately painted piping and special colour of this Benz Velo gives it an opulent appearance. It is in fact an advanced and more luxurious model of the Velo that was presented at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
The Velo was to become the first series-produced car and was manufactured in different models for almost ten years until 1902. This model made Benz the largest car manufacturer in the world in 1898, by which time it had sold 1,600 cars.
This ‘Comfortable’ model was introduced around 1897 and cost 2,500 Marks, compared to the normal, less luxurious Velo which could be purchased for 2,000 Marks. It was one of the first car models to offer a list of options: pneumatic tyres cost an additional 350 Marks, a special planetary gearbox with three forward and one reverse gear cost 200 Marks and a sunshade cost 100 Marks.
With the 2.75 hp engine a top speed of 30 km/h could be generated. The standard Velo could only reach 21 km/h.