Chapter 7: Sigmaringen-Benz Automobile Company

November 30, 1887, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg.

In front of what appeared to be a middle-sized company called Benz & Companie Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik. Alexandrei patiently waits for one of the partners to return, as only the employees are present due to an altercation of which he did not obtain further details.

Waiting on a chair in front of the street, I heard a carriage approaching in the distance, I got up quickly and watched the carriage approaching...

Already in front of me, the carriage door opened, and two teenagers around the age of the crown prince and a middle-aged woman got off. I was a little disappointed but I nodded my head anyway and greeted them courteously.

Bertha Benz was a bit surprised but she returned the greetings and continued ahead to her husband's company.

A few minutes later, she comes out and asks Alexandrei:

"Good day gentleman, are you here for information about the Benz three-wheeler vehicle?" Bertha said with excitement.

"That's right ma'am, I understand it was patented last year and my employer is interested in the vehicle and would like to discuss investment terms," replied Alexandrei

"Excellent! Let me introduce myself, I am Bertha Benz, wife of Carl Benz inventor and partner at this company. If your employer is interested in financing the three-wheeler vehicle, I can convince my husband to come as soon as possible to discuss it." Bertha sounded even more excited.

"Excellent, thank you, Mrs. Benz! My employer is very interested and has authorized me to negotiate the terms of the contract on his behalf," replied Alexandrei happily.

Bertha didn't wait any longer and entered into the company to make a phone call to her husband. After about 20 minutes, Bertha comes out again and asks Alexandrei to wait here a while longer, to which he nods and says that there is no problem.

An hour later...

A noise is heard coming from the street, further than the average person's vision can reach, and a carriage can be made out in the distance... The closer it gets, the more Alexandrei can tell that it's not a carriage.

It was Bertha Benz, driving the 3-wheeled vehicle, If it weren't for the strangeness of the vehicle, this scene could be funny for many.

Bertha, on the other hand, parked the vehicle inside one of the free spaces and beckoned Alexandrei to come over. Alexandrei was stunned, It took him a few seconds to process what had happened and he finally approached to see the vehicle.

It was a black vehicle, with wheels similar to those of a bicycle with what appeared to be a helm (steering wheel) which she used to direct the vehicle.

While Alexandrei admired the vehicle, Bertha asked:

"Did you like it? This is the prototype that was used in the patent last year but due to lack of funds, my husband had not improved it. In my opinion, it is a great invention not less than the locomotive!"

Alexandrei nodded and was surprised by the enthusiasm of this woman, she drove the vehicle from her house to here to show him its worth.

Two hours later Carl Benz returned shocked to see the vehicle he had worked on as a hobby parked in front of his company.

After a brief chat, he understood the situation and gave a reproachful look at Bertha but she was unfazed and continued to explain enthusiastically that Alexandrei represents an investor and is interested in the three-wheeler vehicle.

Two hours later, already at noon. Alexandrei accepted the offer to go eat with Benz after making an offer to Carl Benz to develop a 4-wheeled vehicle that is functional, practical, and can replace the carriage as a means of urban transportation.

According to the terms that he had discussed with Prince Frederick before coming, Carl Benz would have shares in a new company that they would be founding called Sigmaringen-Benz Automobile Company, and the prince would own 75% of the shares while the Benz couple would own 25% for bringing their patents and signing a 6-year employment contract, and limits Benz to 20 years without being able to work in rival companies, this clause above all was repeatedly ordered by Prince Frederick.

After a pleasant meal, Alexandrei made Carl Benz sign the contract and told him that he would send him his copy as soon as Frederick signed it, who had already been emancipated legally (legally independent) with his parent's permission.

December 4, 1887, was an ordinary day for many, but it was when Sigmaringen-Benz Automobil was officially founded, the company that would change the world in a few years.

Frederick enthusiastically promised to reward Alexandrei as soon as they returned to Romania. Rudolph and Oliver, without being left behind, have already collected all the necessary data on the railway lines in Germany and Austro-Hungary, and Frederick has commissioned them to investigate the British Empire and North American railway companies.

The month of December passed quickly without anything important to mention, aside from banquets and occasional chat with relatives in Berlin, to the year 1888.

January 1, 1888, Berlin, Germany.

Meditating in my room, 'In 3 days I will have to return to the Prussian Military Academy, and I have encountered the first obstacle to my plans.' I thought a little depressed

'I only have a thousand pounds left of all my savings I brought to Berlin! Fortunately, on top of that, I got an allowance from my father of a whopping sum of £500 a month. My grandfather also gives all his grandchildren 50 pounds a month plus the 500 I obtained from my parents, 550 pounds my capital grows every month.' I thought with an expression of frustration and continued:

'I have to find something to make more money from, most of my capital went to founding the company Sigmaringen-Benz. It was too early to do it but I didn't want to risk losing the opportunity to hire Carl Benz, maybe I'll get a lot more out of my capital by focusing on automobile development.'

'As I have seen and heard from reports from my servants, Berlin is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, the city is at its peak compared to past years, surpassing Vienna, the capital of Austro-Hungary, which is in decline...'

'The best way to make money is to sell something that is used by all social classes and becomes indispensable... I think I had it before I thought about selling cigarettes, but I had no idea what the process was like. Now after being informed a little more, I can delegate the work to a chemist, I did not want to be associated with this kind of business but it is necessary and also the fastest way to accumulate capital'

'I have to be quick, I'll give this new assignment to Oliver as soon as he returns with Rudolph from America' I thought before getting up and going to have breakfast.' thought Frederick after finishing writing a list of orders.

January 15, 1888, port of Warnemunde, Berlin.

Rudolph and Oliver disembarked with expressions that showed their fatigue.

"Why do you think His Highness Crown Prince Frederick has been making us go around the world to investigate railway lines?" Said Rudolph

"I have no idea, I guess it's to implement some of the foreign railway's standards in Romania and hire the best company to do the job..." Oliver replied weakly

"But he has made us investigate routes, how many companies work on similar routes, their railway standards, and if there have been embezzlement scandals or similar cases... It's somewhat frustrating since Alexandrei runs a company recently founded by the prince while we do nothing but wander around" said Rudolph with a frustrated expression.

"RUDOLPH, we are servants of the Crown Prince, we must obey and carry out orders remember? Also, didn't you felt sorry for Alexandrei when he didn't brought any results in the first few days? You said that we were lucky to have this assignment that only required collecting information" Oliver replied with a louder and more serious voice.

"You're right, I'm just a little envious, nothing more. I hope that his highness gives us another job, I'm already tired of just doing this and not being of any more use to the prince." Rudolph answers with a lower tone.

Oliver didn't answer but from the expression on his face, he too thought the same...

Note:

(1) In history, it was thanks to a prank by Bertha Benz when she drove with her two children in 1888, the vehicle that today we call an Automobile, without permission from her husband or the government.

(2) £10 of 1888 is equivalent to £ 1.064.96 of 2023. This data is only inflation of the pound, there were other factors too that determined the value back then, £10 was a lot of money for an ordinary worker but £ 1.064 for a today worker is just a "good sum" of money.