Image sourced from: Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz
Bertha Benz (née Ringer), business partner and wife and automobile inventor Karl Benz, was the first person to take a long-distance automobile journey. She drove approximately 60 miles, reaching her destination and proving that long-distance driving was both safe and possible.
Born on May 3, 1849, in Pforzheim, Germany to Karl Friedrich Ringer and Auguste Friedrich, Bertha Ringer was the third of nine children. Education was important to her parents, and she attended a boarding school in her hometown for 10 years. She was known to be ambitious and interested in technological innovations. Bertha met Karl Benz, an inventor, in 1869. She believed in him and his idea for a horseless carriage (car) engine.
Bertha’s dowry was used to invest in Karl Benz’s business, and he filed a patent application for his Motorwagen, a “motor car with gas engine operation”. Not only did she contribute financially but she helped with the development as well, sharing her practical ideas to get the motor running.
Karl struggled to get public support for his Motorwagen, so Bertha determined the vehicle needed to be physically demonstrated to the public. Without telling her husband, she and her two sons drove from their home approximately 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, away. After driving for more than 12 hours, they arrived at their destination and let Karl know via telegram. During the drive, Bertha stopped to make repairs to the Motorwagen and her insight allowed Karl to make further improvements to his automobile.
Bertha Benz was the first person to take a long-distance road trip in a horseless carriage, or automobile, and is considered to be the “first female automotive pioneer”, according to Mercedes Benz. Karl Benz was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1984, and Bertha was inducted in 2016, making them the only couple to be inducted.
Sources:
https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/tradition/founders-pioneers/bertha-benz.html
https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/bertha-benz/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bertha-Benz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Benz
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/innovation/milestones/bertha-benz-2/