Editing Carl Benz (section)

==Benz Söhne, 1906–1923==
[[Image:Benz Logo Mannheim.png|thumb|upright|left|Logo with laurels used on Benz & Cie. automobiles after 1909]]
[[Image:Benz & Cie 1912 1000 Mk.jpg|thumb|upright|Bond of the Benz & Cie., issued 1912]]
[[Image:Patentmotorwagen mit Karl und Bertha Benz.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Carl and Bertha Benz in {{Circa}} 1926]]

Carl Benz, Bertha Benz, and their son, Eugen, moved {{convert|10|km}} east of Mannheim to live in nearby [[Ladenburg]], and solely with their own capital, founded the private company, C.&nbsp;Benz Sons (German: ''Benz Söhne'') in 1906, producing automobiles and gas engines. The latter type was replaced by petrol engines because of lack of demand.<ref name="automuseum-dr-carl-benz.de">{{Cite web |url=http://www.automuseum-dr-carl-benz.de/?section=historie&infopart=drcarlbenz |title=Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz |access-date=4 July 2016 |archive-date=10 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410111543/http://www.automuseum-dr-carl-benz.de/?section=historie&infopart=drcarlbenz |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Image:C-Benz-Soehne-Logo.png|thumb|upright|Logo on family held business production vehicles]]
This company never issued stocks publicly, building its own line of automobiles independently from Benz & Cie., which was located in Mannheim. The ''Benz Sons'' automobiles were of good quality and became popular in London as [[taxicab|taxis]].

In 1912, Benz liquidated all of his shares in Benz Sons and left the family-held company in Ladenburg to Eugen and Richard, but he remained as a director of Benz & Cie.

During a birthday celebration for him in his home town of [[Karlsruhe]] on 25 November 1914, the seventy-year-old Benz was awarded an honorary [[Honorary degree|doctorate]] by his alma mater, the ''[[Karlsruhe University]]'', thereby becoming—Dr.&nbsp;Ing. h.&nbsp;c.&nbsp; Benz.<ref name="automuseum-dr-carl-benz.de" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/community/dr-carl-benz-car-museum/ |title=Dr. Carl Benz Car Museum. |access-date=4 July 2016 |archive-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703202300/https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/community/dr-carl-benz-car-museum/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Almost from the very beginning of the production of automobiles, participation in [[sports car racing]] became a major method to gain publicity for manufacturers. At first, the production models were raced and the Benz ''Velo'' participated in the first automobile race: [[Paris–Rouen (motor race)|Paris to Rouen 1894]]. Later, investment in developing [[racecar]]s for [[motorsports]] produced returns through sales generated by the association of the name of the automobile with the winners. Unique race vehicles were built at the time such as the first [[mid-engine]] and [[aerodynamically]] designed, ''Tropfenwagen'', a "teardrop" body introduced at the 1923 [[European Grand Prix]] at [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza|Monza]].

In the last production year of the ''Benz Sons'' company, 1923, three hundred and fifty units were built. During the following year, 1924, Benz built two additional 8/25&nbsp;hp units of the automobile manufactured by this company, tailored for his personal use, which he never sold; they are still preserved.