Chapter 67: Benz and Mercedes
To fully showcase the power of the Braunschweig-class battleship to Arthur, Wilhelm II specifically ordered the German navy to take the massive warship on two laps through the western Baltic Sea.
Although the battleship appeared incredibly large, once it was moving, it didn't feel clumsy at all.
To see such a ten-thousand-ton behemoth sailing freely across the sea truly made one marvel at the transformation and progress brought about by technology.
At the same time, it made Arthur even more eager for the future arrival of the dreadnought. As a new generation of warship that surpassed all battleships in every aspect, dreadnoughts also made notable strides in speed.
While pre-dreadnought ships typically reached speeds of 17 to 18 knots, the standard cruising speed of dreadnought-class battleships climbed to an impressive 21 knots—and that's not even counting the more advanced designs that other countries would later develop based on the dreadnought concept.
After disembarking from the warship, Arthur and Wilhelm II rode in a car together back to Berlin.
It was during this car ride that Arthur remembered there was one more matter to handle: acquiring the technology for automobile production.
Although automotive technology hadn't undergone a revolutionary leap in this era and was still a luxury for the wealthy, Arthur, as someone from the future, clearly understood its immense market potential and national importance.
With the introduction of the Ford Model T only a few years away, anyone who wanted a stake in Europe's automotive future had to act quickly.
The two primary issues facing automobiles at present were stability and cost.
Currently, most cars were built by hand, which made production slow and prone to errors—completely unaffordable for the average household.
But with Ford's visionary assembly line production methods, manufacturing speeds would soon skyrocket, and costs would drop significantly, making cars accessible to everyday families.
Moreover, the adoption of standardized components meant that car parts would become interchangeable. This not only reduced mechanical failure but also made maintenance far easier and cheaper.
As a result, the inexpensive and reliable Ford Model T quickly conquered the American and global auto markets, setting records for single-model vehicle production.
The car's popularity wasn't just due to increased travel convenience. It also triggered a sweeping transformation of society and national infrastructure.
For any country, the development of transportation industries stimulated economic growth and construction, boosting all sectors.
More importantly, the improved transport efficiency brought by cars had huge military implications.
Whether for moving strategic supplies or mobilizing troops, logistics had always been a headache.
Railroads and trains solved large-scale transport problems—but train stations weren't everywhere.
People needed to get to a station first, and even then, there were concerns about rail lines being bombed or disrupted.
Cars, on the other hand, offered much more flexibility. They didn't require extensive rail infrastructure and could handle mountainous terrain, steep inclines, and even forests if necessary. In smaller-scale logistics, cars offered more versatility than trains.
Currently, the countries with the most success in automotive development were the United States and Germany. Although the assembly line was invented by Ford, it was really a new production concept rather than a technological breakthrough.
Its core idea was simple: break down the construction of a vehicle into individual components and assign each worker to a single, repetitive task. Rather than building the entire car, workers specialized—greatly improving production speed while cutting labor and time costs.
As long as one possessed the core technologies for automobile manufacturing, the assembly line system could be studied and optimized later.
After hearing Arthur's request to purchase automotive production technology, Wilhelm II casually nodded in agreement.
While he understood the car's potential, he wasn't overly impressed—mainly because, despite years of effort, the automobile still hadn't overcome its two main shortcomings.
Besides, many countries were already exploring the technology. Selling it to Australia wasn't going to make a difference.
However, Wilhelm did present Arthur with a challenge: to choose the right automaker from which to acquire the technology.
And that was no small task. Most of the world's famous car manufacturers hadn't even been founded yet.
But Arthur was well aware of the legendary name Carl Friedrich Benz, known as the father of the automobile.
On January 26, 1886, Carl Benz successfully developed the world's first single-cylinder, three-wheeled car—an event now recognized as the birth of the automobile.
Arthur immediately named Carl Benz without hesitation.
Wilhelm II was surprised to hear that Arthur even knew about German car manufacturers.
At present, Carl Benz and his partner August Ritter had founded Benz & Cie., Germany's largest car manufacturer.
Benz's invention of the Viktoria automobile had brought the company great acclaim.
However, despite its advanced design, the car sold for a staggering 3,875 marks—about £193.
That was an enormous sum for the average person. Even a highly paid skilled worker would need to save at least half a year's wages to afford one.
And that only covered the purchase price. The ongoing maintenance, repairs, and fuel expenses deterred most middle- and low-income families entirely.
This created a serious issue. Despite Benz's achievements in reputation and scale, he was, financially speaking, a failure.
The invention didn't bring in much revenue; instead, it pushed the company toward debt.
Neither Benz nor Ritter came from wealthy families, and they simply couldn't cover the company's enormous expenses.
Only recently, after heeding advice, Benz had begun developing a cheaper "motorized bicycle"—essentially a bare-bones car with fewer features.
Thanks to early mass production efforts and reduced functionality, this "bicycle" brought in some much-needed sales and helped the company barely survive.
In other words, Germany's largest car manufacturer was currently in serious financial trouble.
They had decent automotive results and were in desperate need of funds—the perfect acquisition target for Arthur.
If he could acquire Benz's company and inject large sums of capital, who's to say Benz & Cie. couldn't surpass Ford and become the world's top car manufacturer?
(End of Chapter)
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