KARL BENZ probably had no idea he had come up with something that would change the world for ever when he designed what looked like a park bench on wheels.

In 1886 his Motorwagen was something of a novelty and no one believed it would really catch on.

But, today, ancestors of the spindly machine now acknowledged as the first real motor car dominate everyday life to such an extent that, some would argue, without them we would be back in the Dark Ages.

Compare it with its modern equivalent, of course, and a replica of the Motorwagen handles like a shopping trolley. Acceleration is asthmatic and it is almost dangerously unstable at corners.

There are also none of the modern conveniences we take for granted. The Motorwagen's flimsy, rubber-rimmed front wheel is steered via a tiller and the brakes operate by a lever which doubles as an accelerator when it is pumped forward.

In fact, for most, trundling down a slope will prompt a flashback to the days of soap box carts, when there was no certainty whether the rickety creation of plywood and pram wheels was going to be able to stop at the bottom of the hill.

Of course, airbags, anti-lock braking systems, cruise control and satellite navigation were all science fiction even 50 years ago.

But, as an experience, the Motorwagen is still fun to drive, and diners at a sell-out fundraising ball at Rudding Park, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, can bid for a turn at the controls in November.

The successful bidder will also receive a scale model of the car and dinner for eight at the conference venue.

The money raised at the black-tie ball and auction, which has been fully-subscribed since January, will go to the nearby Harrogate Theatre.

The replica Motorwagen driven by the winning bidder is one of just over 200 made since the mid-1980s by an engineering firm from West Yorkshire owned by Chris Bentley, who has since helped to pioneer Harrogate's Hornbeam Business Park.

"We have helped the theatre with the annual pantomime before, but we thought this was a way to say thank you for what they do for the community,'' he said.