Gottlieb Daimler, German mechanical engineer, late 19th century.

In 1885 Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900), together with Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929), patented one of the first succesful high-speed internal-combustion engines and also developed a carburetor that made posible the use of petrol as fuel. Their early petrol engines were restricted to bicycle use (resulting in posibly the first motocycle in the world) and within four years they had designed their first four-wheeled automobile. In 1899 they built the first Mercedes motor car.