Mercedes-Benz’s oldest roadworthy commercial vehicle is preparing to drive from London to Brighton. It has 3hp, carries around 100kg, and makes a modern Sprinter look unnecessarily complicated.
The 1899 Benz combination delivery vehicle will take part in the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
on Sunday 1 November, 130 years after Carl Benz created his first motorised transporter.
Known as the Ideal Van, the diminutive commercial vehicle was built under licence in England by London-based Hewetson’s Ltd, Benz’s official UK representative at the time.
Power comes from a 1.0-litre rear-mounted, single-cylinder engine producing a mighty 3hp. When new, it could carry approximately 100kg of goods in addition to its driver.
An advert for the British-built model, with an improved 3.5hp engine and 250kg payload, says the van could reach 12mph, so covering the 60 miles from London to Brighton will take at least five hours, even before allowing for hills, traffic or anything requiring roadside attention. Of course, with its ability to “easily climb gradients of one in five”, the gentle undulations of the A23 are unlikely to cause many issues.
The original multipurpose van
The combination delivery vehicle was a surprisingly adaptable machine for something designed during Queen Victoria’s reign.
Its commercial body could be removed in a few simple steps, converting it into a two-seat passenger car. A century before crew vans and modular load compartments became fashionable, Benz was already experimenting with vehicles that could work during the week and carry people at the weekend.
The vehicle taking part in the run is based on a period Benz Velo from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection. The company’s artisans have carefully reconstructed its delivery body.
Its appearance celebrates the 130th anniversary of the first Benz delivery vehicles, introduced in 1896. The larger of those early vans was supplied to the Du Bon Marché department store in Paris, helping to establish the motorised commercial vehicle as an alternative to horse-drawn transport.
Duncan Wiltshire, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said: “Cars such as this remarkable Benz combination delivery vehicle provide a wonderful connection with the very earliest days of motoring and demonstrate just how quickly the pioneers recognised the potential of the motor car beyond simply carrying passengers.”
Before beginning its journey to Brighton, the Ideal Van will appear at the free St James’s Motoring Spectacle on Pall Mall on Saturday 31 October.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run commemorates the Emancipation Run of 1896, which celebrated legislation ending the restrictive 4mph speed limit imposed on early cars.
Modern Mercedes-Benz vans can carry considerably more, travel rather faster and provide luxuries such as a roof and windscreen. Few, however, are likely to attract as much attention while making a delivery.
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