Carl Benz’s Wife, Bertha, Taught Her Husband And The World How To Drive The World’s First Car

Carl Benz’s Wife, Bertha, taught her husband and the whole world how to drive the world’s first practical car. 

Benz Patent-Motorwagen, patented and unveiled in 1886, was the first car put into series production.

Back then, it cost 600 imperial German marks (or around 150 US dollars), which was equivalent to $4,500 in 2021.

Unfortunately, nobody wanted to buy the car as it could only travel a short distance with the assistance of engineers.

But Bertha saw the true potential of her husband “horseless carriage”, so she demonstrated how to drive the car.

In 1888, Bertha took Patent No. 3 and drove it on the first long-distance road trip to demonstrate its feasibility.

She took her sons Eugene, Richard on a ride to visit her mother in Pforzheim, a 106-km journey from Benz’s home in Mannheim.

We all know that German engineer Karl (or Carl) Benz was credited with inventing the world’s first practical modern automobile, but it was his wife Bertha that showed him and the world how to use it.

Carl Benz’s Patent-Motorwagen (“patent motorcar”), patented and unveiled in 1886, was the first car put into series production, costing 600 imperial German marks at the time ($150), which was equivalent to $4,500 in 2021.

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The German’s Motorwagen was simply a four-stroke engine mounted on three wheels. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to buy the car as it could only travel a short distance with the assistance of engineers.

But Carl’s wife, Bertha, who used part of her dowry to financed the development of the Patent-Motorwagen, saw the true potential of her husband’s “horseless carriage” and in August 1888, she became the first first person to demonstrate how to drive the car.

Shortly before the car became the first commercially available in the late summer of 1888, Bertha took the Patent-Motorwagen No. 3 and drove it on the first long-distance road trip to demonstrate its feasibility.

During the trip in early August 1888, Bertha took her sons Eugen and Richard, aged 15 and 14, on a ride to visit her mother in Pforzheim, a 106 kilometres journey from Benz’s home in Mannheim that would usually take a day and a half on horseback.

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