March is Women’s History Month in the United States, so what better time to brush up on our Mercedes-Benz history and talk about a woman who was monumental to the brand, Bertha Benz! Bertha Benz, at the time Bertha Ringer, was born in 1849, at a time when women were looked at as inferior, and denied access to a higher education. Unlike many women of this day and age who may further their education at Stonybrook University, NYU, SUNY Old Westbury, or Suffolk Community College, it was uncommon and abnormal to see a woman with a high education during her time. Bertha’s father, a carpenter, widely contributed to her interest in wanting something greater for herself through unconventional means for a woman. She was determined to show the world that women were highly capable of being equals. In the summer of 1869, Bertha met her soon to be husband, Carl Benz. Carl was a young engineer, who was working on a horseless carriage at the time, catching Bertha’s eye. The rest was history! Bertha and Carl’s lifestyle was not one of luxury given that Carl did not have much to his name. Bertha still prevailed. She even invested her dowry into the company that was built by Carl Benz. After a long period of struggle, the horseless carriage, now called the Motorwagen/ Motor Car, was finally registered under a patent. Although now the Motorwagen was official, no one seemed to be very interested. This was tough for a family of five, whose entire life had gone towards the creation of this brand new invention. Through adversity, Bertha decided that something had to be done. She decided she would take the first ever road trip known to any man or woman. The motorwagen would make its way from Mannheim to Pforzhiem in Germany, and show the world just what the future of automobiles could look like. Early one August morning, Bertha took two of her sons, Richard and Eugene, and embarked on her journey unbeknownst to her husband Carl. This road trip was to be no easy feat given that many of the roads were not suitable for any type of automobile. Unlike the paved roads of the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkwa y, or Jericho Turnpike that you see now, they were created for the use of horse-drawn carriages at the time and were rocky, uneven, and created upon dirt. Throughout the journey, Bertha and her sons faced many difficulties. Clogged valves, lack of fuel, and wire chafing were amongst the many problems solved by Bertha by unconventional and creative methods. With a garter, a hat pin, and the ligroin stock of all the pharmacies along the way as the star members of her toolbox, she was a woman on a mission. Bertha even had to push the motor wagen herself on multiple occasions when it had run out of gas! We are so blessed with many luxuries such as Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance for every time we face any problem, whether that be a battery jump, flat tire, or worse, that we can’t even imagine what that must have been like! Bertha’s hard work paid off. She and her mysterious new invention were the talk of many towns. Word spread about this new way to travel. After many decades, the motorwagen was widely accepted by the general public, with Bertha and Carl at the forefront of the start of the Automobile Industry. There was no denying that they were the pioneers of any automotive brand. It is absolutely mind boggling to see the evolution of our company starting at a simple little wagon such as the one that Bertha drove, make its way over to eventually having full-blown electric vehicles such as the Mercedes-EQ vehicles! Bertha’s hard work, determination, and strong beliefs that she could prove herself as intelligent regardless of her gender, are the key attributes to what was able to start the Mercedes-Benz brand, and those principles are still held through the company to this day. By the time of her 95th birthday, the Technical University of Karlsruhe proclaimed her an honorary senator. This was a crowning achievement for women everywhere due to the fact that Bertha herself was never allowed to study with the social constraints of her time. Bertha Benz is a role model for many women today, teaching them to never let their gender define them or persuade them they aren’t capable of any feat. We remember her strong resolve stepping into any model whether that be the entry level A-Class, the G-Class Wagon, AMG vehicle, or E-Class, as the very DNA that defines Mercedes-Benz. We are so lucky to have someone so powerful and inspiring as one of the founders of our company! Happy Women’s History Month, from your family over at Mercedes-Benz of Huntington!
