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Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler was born on March 17 1834 in Schorndorf, Germany.
As a student he studied at Stuttgart Polytechnic Institute.
He trained as a gunsmith before becoming an engineer. In 1872 he worked on a theory to improve gas engines.
Through his work he travelled to Berlin, France and Belgium before being appointed technical director to the gas engine company, which had been founded by Nikolaus Otto at Deutz.
In 1882 while attempting to develop an internal combustion engine that would propel road vehicles, Gottlieb and Otto had a dispute that led to Gottlieb and a young engineer called Wilhelm Maybach setting up their own company. They concentrated on producing the first lightweight engine to run on gasoline.
In 1885 Gottlieb built one of the earliest roadworthy cars using a high-speed internal combustion engine.
By 1889 the engine was placed into a horse carriage and the car was driven at eleven mph. A four-speed gearbox and belt drive mechanism was then added.
They decided to sell the cars and the Daimler Motor Company was launched in 1890. In the first road race between Paris and Rouen in 1894, only fifteen cars completed the course, they were all Daimlers.
The Daimler engine was added to the Zeppelin Airship as well as the armoured cars that were being developed at that time. Their reliability was second to none.
Gottlieb Daimler died on March 6 1900.
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