A Visual Tour Through 150 Years of Engine Building in Mannheim on the Occasion of the Big MWM Anniversary
Mannheim, November 18, 2021
Around the globe, the MWM brand stands for powerful, reliable gas engines and power gensets. At the traditional location Mannheim, the history of engine building and of the MWM brand goes back 150 years. The brand was developed by a number of prominent people such as the company founder and automobile pioneer Carl Benz and the engineer and inventor Prosper L’Orange. In celebration of the 150th anniversary, a video has now been released about the origins and evolution of the MWM brand.
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Ideas and Developments Made in Mannheim
The 15-minute video also introduces the people who have contributed to the growth and success of the MWM brand. This includes the automobile inventor and engineer Carl Benz, who founded his “Mechanical Workshop” in Mannheim in 1871, thereby laying the basis for Benz & Cie., which later became MWM. In 1885, Benz took his place in the history of the horseless automobile when he invented and completed the four-stroke engine. MWM’s development was also greatly influenced by Prosper L’Orange, whose invention of the prechamber principle culminated in the development of the compressorless diesel engine, which was soon used in vehicles. In the video, Norbert Eisinger, who worked for the company for many years and authored numerous MWM publications and is therefore considered an expert in the field of historical engine building, says: “Back in the 1920s, the MWM motorhorse—an engine-powered tractor—was a technical sensation. This machine revolutionized the transportation sector throughout Germany.” The first MWM engine program after World War II started in 1950. The engines in the range from 5 to 920 hp were deployed in the industry, agriculture, and ships. The 1960s and 1970s saw various technical enhancements of the MWM engines. In 1972, MWM gas engines secured the energy supply of the Olympics in Munich. Since 2011, the MWM brand has been part of Caterpillar Inc..
MWM Gas Engines: Always Full of Innovation and Passion
The production of the MWM anniversary video took about six months. The video project was rolled out by Frank Fuhrmann, Manager Communications at Caterpillar Energy Solutions (idea and project management), the Motionplan video team with Marcus Seip (production and script), Ali Badakhshan Rad (script and editing), and Kilian Rüth (animation/special FX). Filming locations included the company premises, the historical location in Mannheim, and the Dr. Carl Benz automobile museum in Ladenburg. The historical film material originates from the Dr. Carl Benz automobile museum in Ladenburg, the MARCHIVUM city archive in Mannheim, the local TV broadcaster RNF, the MWM archive, and other historical databases. Apart from a historian, the film features the comments of two former MWM employees about the corporate development and the time they spent with the company. “It was fun to intensively research and track the origins and roots of MWM with the help of the archive material”, says Frank Fuhrmann, describing the production process. “We were especially impressed by the technical innovations and developments in the second half of the 19th century. With their inventive genius and passion, the people behind the MWM brand continue to drive the company’s success.”
In view of the challenges of the energy market, three qualities in particular are vital for a successful future: flexibility, innovative drive, and enthusiasm. Thanks to these qualities, MWM gas engines will continue to play a key role in ensuring sustainable, eco-friendly energy supply.
MWM would like to express its gratitude to all who cooperated in the production of the video for their efforts, which have made this anniversary project possible.
