Historic Raid! The Law-Breaking Woman Who “Stole” the World’s First Car, Launching the Automobile Age! .m

Buried Secret: Why Did the Father of the Automobile Sleep While His Wife Changed the World?

On August 5, 1888, while her genius husband, Carl Benz—creator of the first automobile—was still asleep, Bertha Benz undertook an unprecedented daring mission. It was not a simple family visit, but a historic raid to prove that her husband’s great invention was not a useless toy, but the future of mankind!

The “Steal” and the 100-Mile Underground Trip
Bertha left only a simple note on the kitchen table: “Take the children to Pforzheim to see me.” What she was hiding? She would be driving the experimental Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a machine that even Carl did not dare to trust!

To avoid waking Carl, she and her two sons sneaked the car out of the workshop. It was the first time a car was pushed out of the safety of the laboratory and into the harsh reality of the road.

“Bankrupt” Due to Lack of Gas: Where Did the Female Driver Buy Fuel?
Just a few hours later, the adventure encountered its first obstacle: Out of fuel!

Bertha realized that “ligroin” (gasoline) was not sold at the gas station at that time (because it did not exist yet!). She went to a pharmacy in Wiesloch—and turned that pharmacy into the first gas station in history!

But that was not all this woman’s resourcefulness:

When the fuel line became clogged, she used a hairpin to clear it.

When the leather brake pads wore out, she didn’t stop there, but instead found a shoemaker/blacksmith to add leather, turning the shop into the first car repair shop!

And to keep Carl from worrying too much, she sent a telegram from the road—signaling to her husband that his invention was working, even if it was out of his control!

The Innocent Truth: The Revolution Didn’t Come From a Scientist
Bertha Benz’s nearly 120-mile round trip wasn’t just the first long-distance trip in automotive history; it was a brilliant marketing move and a real-world durability test that perfection-obsessed Carl Benz never dared attempt.

It was the courage, daring, and resourcefulness of this woman—who has been called the first female driver, the first mechanic, and the first road tripper—that forced the world to reconsider: The automobile was not an expensive pastime, but a revolution in mobility that could change society!

While Carl Benz created the machine, Bertha Benz created the market and ushered in the modern Age of Mobility! Her story is a powerful testament: sometimes, history needs a little “stealing” and a little daring to be rewritten.