Empire Rising: Spain - Chapter 251 - 164: Prototype of the Automobile

Upon hearing that the stability and safety of the car in front of him had been guaranteed, Carlo turned his gaze to Queen Sophie beside him and, with a smile, invited her, “Sophie, how about we experience this mechanical carriage together?”

“I would love to, Carlo.” Sophie smiled and nodded, extending her hand.

Carlo first helped Queen Sophie into the carriage compartment, and then he leapt up himself.

“Mr. Benz, what are you waiting for? Since this giant contraption was made by you, you should drive it for me.” Carlo turned his gaze to Benz, who was obviously taken aback, and instructed him with a smile.

Benz hesitated a bit, but seeing Carlo’s determined demeanor, he could only nod and personally climbed into the driver’s seat at the front of the carriage.

Although the car was relatively simple, its layout was largely similar to that of cars in later generations.

The engine and driver’s seat were located at the front, with the driver’s seat connected to the modified carriage compartment. This was no ordinary carriage compartment, but rather a converted large luxury compartment.

The compartment housed three luxurious large sofas, which were plush and comfortable, sinking deeply when seated upon.

Windows were designed on both sides of the carriage, allowing observation of the scenery outside. After getting on the carriage, Queen Sophie drew open the curtains, watching the changes outside the carriage.

Rumble!

With the burst of engine roar, blue-gray smoke floated up to the sky, marking the official ignition of the engine.

“Your Majesty, there might be some jolting at the start, please hold onto the armrest with Her Highness, and wait a moment for it to stabilize,” Benz turned his head and explained briefly to Carlo after the engine ignited, waiting for Carlo’s command.

“Understood, Mr. Benz. Start it up; let me see what differences there are between this mechanical carriage and a regular carriage.” Carlo smiled and nodded, pulling Queen Sophie’s hand and placing it on the armrest.

With the nation’s King and Queen sitting in the carriage, Benz certainly dared not to be careless. If jolting caused Carlo’s dissatisfaction, the engine and automotive development plans might end right then.

Under Benz’s careful control, the carriage started without much jolting. Of course, the speed of the carriage was also slow, estimated to be even less than ten kilometers per hour.

“Mr. Benz, let me see the speed of the carriage. I hope this giant contraption isn’t just going to crawl along, otherwise what’s the difference with a regular carriage?” Carlo noticed Benz’s caution and smiled, setting his mind at ease.

Carlo understood the function and impact of the car better than anyone else; even if accidents occurred along the way, Carlo would not abandon automotive development.

Benz’s worries were completely unnecessary; if Carlo didn’t value engine and automotive development, he wouldn’t have invited them from Germany and specially built an independent experimental area for them.

Hearing Carlo’s request, Benz, although unwilling, could only press the accelerator to increase the speed of the carriage.

The scenery outside the window swiftly flashed by, and the carriage’s speed was obviously much faster than before. Although Carlo didn’t know the exact speed, he estimated it to be roughly close to 20 kilometers per hour.

In other words, this carriage had reached its estimated maximum speed. This also proved Benz’s confidence in the carriage he had made; after all, it was carrying the King and Queen, and if safety weren’t high, wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?

Behind the engine laboratory was a wide road, intended for related automotive experiments.

In the experimental area, each separate small experimental area had its own armed forces, ensuring the experimenters within wouldn’t know about other experimental areas.

The distance between each small experimental area ranged from a few hundred meters to over a kilometer, making it impossible to see what was inside the experimental area just by eye.

This regulation greatly ensured the independence and confidentiality of each project within the experimental area, preventing large-scale leaks due to any single accident.

Of course, the experimenters allowed into the laboratory were all investigated, and essentially trustworthy. For some more important experimenters, the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau would conduct long-term supervision to ensure the confidentiality of the experimental content.

These experimenters’ families were all in Spain, so confidentiality could be trusted. Even if Carlo came to the engine’s experimental area with great fanfare, as long as it wasn’t publicly known, other parts of the experimental area would remain unaware.

“Sophie, how does it feel?” Carlo turned his gaze to Queen Sophie and asked with a smile.

“Very good, aside from the engine noise, I think this carriage has its advantages compared to a regular one.” Queen Sophie nodded, expressing her opinion.

The engine noise was an unavoidable issue, especially considering the relatively crude engines of this era. However, considering that horses also made noise when running and caused trouble with waste, such a mechanical carriage wasn’t unacceptable.

“After all, this is the first generation of car, being able to achieve this is already commendable. I have high hopes for the automotive future, maybe it could replace the carriage at some point, becoming a common mode of transportation for people.” Carlo smiled as he spoke.

Even though it’s just a simple car, its current functionality could already compare to a carriage. Given a few more decades for car development, completely replacing the carriage wouldn’t be speculation, but rather a highly possible reality.