South Lyon, Linden. Spirit Auto Repair 5910 E. Grand River Howell, MI 48843 517.545.1700 Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first  petrol -powered car, the  Benz Patent Motorwagen , patented in January 1886 and  Gottlieb Daimler and engineer  Wilhelm Maybach 's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition