Benz 8 hp racing car, 1899

Carl Benz, technology pioneer and inventor of the petrol-powered automobile, was certainly not a fan of the competitive driving scene that had been burgeoning since 1894. He took a rather critical view of such activities - it was his belief that taking part in races would not provide any useful experience and that it was better to concentrate on "producing solid and reliable touring cars". Eugen and Richard, Carl's two sons, who also worked for Benz & Cie., took a very different view and made considerable efforts to bring competitive Benz cars to the starting line in races.

The first vehicle designed specifically for use in motorsport competitions was the Benz 8 hp racing car from 1899. It was powered by an engine with a completely new design: shortly after the "twin engine" conceived by the company founder in 1897, a two-cylinder engine with coupled cylinders, Carl Benz had presented the so-called Contra engine, a flat two-cylinder engine with a double offset crankshaft and therefore counter-rotating pistons. This "Contra engine" was nothing other than the first boxer engine in automotive history. Benz had recognised that such an engine concept offered considerable advantages, because in addition to its compact design, the "Contra engine" was particularly remarkable on account of its low-vibration operation.

In the 8 hp racing car, this two-cylinder engine had a displacement of 2280 cc. The maximum output of 8 hp/5.9 kW was available at 750 rpm. Motorsport success was not long in coming. At the beginning of July 1899, Fritz Held won the 193.2 kilometre Frankfurt - Cologne long-distance race in such a vehicle, ahead of Emil Graf in an identical car. The average speed of the winner was 22.5 km/h. Further successes for the 8 hp racing car, with Fritz Held at the wheel, included a victory in the Berlin - Leipzig long-distance race in September 1899 and a second place in the Innsbruck - Munich race in July. By this time, Benz & Cie. had already increased the output of the Contra engine to 12 hp/8.8 kW.