On display at Lakeland Motor Museum is the above model of the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen. The 1886 Benz was the first motor vehicle ever that was successfully powered by internal combustion. There was already automobiles that were powered by steam or electricity but the German engine designer, Karl Benz, secured success for his invention on 29th January 1886 when he presented his stroke of genius at the Imperial Patent Office. His single-cylinder 4-stroke engine with a displacement of 0.954 of a litre anticipated elements still found in every internal combustion engine to this day: a crankshaft with balance weights, electric ignition and water cooling: enough to generate 0.55 kW and a top speed of 16 km/h, virtually corresponding to the power of a whole horse. This beautiful model is the first 1:8 scale precision die-cast.