The three Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans - Bertha, Carl, and Gottlieb - drove through 55 countries on six continents, covering 65,000 km over nine months, a testimony of innovation and endurance for the automaker.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class ‘140 years, 140 places’ global tour made its way back home in Germany, concluding a transcontinental road trip across continents. Exactly 140 years since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile on January 29, 2026, the three new Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans embarked on a journey across Europe, North and South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa, before making their way to Mercedes-Benz’s home in Stuttgart, Germany, after nearly nine months.
The three S-Class sedans are named after the pioneers of mobility at Mercedes - Bertha Benz, Carl Benz, and Gottlieb Daimler. The sedans made it back to the Mercedes-Benz Museum, where the journey began, after driving through 55 countries on six continents and covering 65,000 km along the way. The India leg saw the cars making it up to Umling La, at a height of 5800 metres above sea level.
Acko Drive joined this expedition during its India leg, and we drove Bertha from the historical city of Hampi to the Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) centre in Bengaluru. It was a journey of contrasts as the state-of-the-art S-Class - a pinnacle of automotive excellence - stood against the temples of Hampi that date back to the 3rd century BCE. The smooth roads across Karnataka gave us the perfect opportunity to stretch the legs on the S-Class, while experiencing the rear seat as well.
The 140 Years, 140 Places tour saw each of the S-Class sedans drive an average of 450 km per day. Bertha and Gottlieb travelled simultaneously in 55 countries across six continents, which involved 67 border crossings, 28 time zone changes, and 13 climate zones. The cars made it to 140 iconic cities across the world including Stuttgart, Madrid, Paris, Sao Paulo, New York, Toronto, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seoul Beijing, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Melbourne, Sydney, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Casablanca, Istanbul, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, and more.
The near nine-month world tour was a testimony to the innovation that the automaker brings to its cars. It turned out to be the ultimate endurance test of its kind, subjecting the cars to conditions across different terrains, weather, and drivers in the real world, which can’t be replicated in testing labs.
The homecoming saw the three Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans accompanied by classic cars, current production models, local vehicles, and more, in a display of the automaker’s illustrious legacy and a glimpse into the future with the new AMT GT SUV, which debuted alongside the conclusion of the global tour.
