She didn’t ask for permission — she made history. The story of Bertha Benz.
In 1888, without informing her husband and without any official approval, Bertha Benz took his invention — the Benz Patent-Motorwagen — and set off on a daring 100+ km journey from Mannheim to her hometown of Pforzheim. With her two sons by her side, she made a trip that would forever change the course of automotive history.
But this wasn’t just a joyride. Her goal was clear: to prove that the automobile wasn’t just a novelty — it had real, commercial potential. Something her husband, Karl Benz, hadn’t been able to demonstrate yet.
Along the way, Bertha faced countless technical issues — and solved them with incredible resourcefulness:
🔧 She unclogged a fuel valve using a hat pin.
🛠 She used her garter as insulation for a part of the engine.
⛽ She bought fuel at a pharmacy — making it the world’s first gas station.
💡 She stopped at a blacksmith’s to fix a chain and improve the brakes.
Her bold journey didn’t just prove the car worked — it captured the public’s imagination, drew investors, and helped launch what would become Mercedes-Benz.
In 2008, the German government honored her achievement by creating the Bertha Benz Memorial Route — a scenic trail that follows her historic path.
Bertha Benz wasn’t just a passenger in history. She was the driver of change.
Her vision, courage, and ingenuity show us that sometimes, it takes more than an inventor to change the world — it takes someone who believes in the invention enough to take it for a spin.
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