Framed
Mercedes-Benz’s history is proudly tied to one woman: Bertha Benz, the world’s first driver and roadside mechanic. Bertha Benz was a German automotive pioneer, the business partner and wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz. On 5 August 1888, she was the first person to drive an internal-combustion-engine automobile over a long distance, field testing the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, inventing brake lining and solving several practical issues during the journey of 105 km (65 miles). She thus brought the Patent-Motorwagen worldwide attention and got the company its first sales. Along the way, she encountered technical difficulties and was very resourceful, including using a hat pin to fix a clogged fuel line and a garter to repair a broken ignition. She also paved the way for women in the industry.
#InternationalWomensDay
(Picture Courtesy: A staged reenactment of Bertha driving a Model III, with her two sons/Alamy Stock Photo)