Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant (later Carl Benz) was born in Mühlburg, near Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany. His father, Johann Georg Vaillant, was a locomotive driver. The circumstances of his birth were shadowed by hardship, as his father died a year later.

The untimely death of Carl's father placed significant financial strain on his family, shaping his early life and influencing his determination to achieve success.

Benz began attending the scientific gymnasium in Karlsruhe, demonstrating an aptitude for technical subjects and deviating from a traditional classical education.

From a young age, influenced by his father's profession, Benz exhibited a strong fascination with locomotives and machinery, sparking his initial interest in engineering.

Benz enrolled at the Karlsruhe Polytechnic (Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe), where he studied mechanical engineering under notable professors. He focused on engine design and construction, receiving formal training in the core principles that would underpin his later inventions.