Way before the Ford Model T crawled out of the primordial ooze—and way, way before Ford’s Raptor churned that ooze into paste—and even before Benz had a Mercedes, Benz & Company introduced the world’s first mass-produced car: the Benz Motor Velocipede, which debuted 125 years ago in April 1894. By the time it was discontinued just after the dawn of the 20th century, some 1,200 Benz Velos were puttering around Germany, England, and France.

At launch, the Velocipede weighed...

Continue Reading The Benz Velocipede Ruled the Automotive World 125 Years Ago