And fittingly, this episode drops on August 5th—the same day Bertha rode into the early morning light to change history. 🌅 Don’t miss this ride through time, innovation, and unstoppable determination!
Picture this: it’s August 5, 1888. At dawn, Bertha Benz, 39 years old and fueled by fierce determination, quietly rolls her husband’s Benz Patent-Motorwagen out of their Mannheim home. With her teenage sons Richard (15) and Eugen (13), she launches a secret mission—no permission, no roads, no roadmap—to drive over 100 km to her mother’s home in Pforzheim.
Throughout this wild journey, Bertha tackled nearly every mechanical obstacle imaginable:
- She refueled at apothecaries, buying the town's entire supply of ligroin—effectively the world’s first gas stations
- When the fuel line clogged, she used a hat pin to clear it; she wrapped a frayed ignition wire with her garter to insulate it; and she asked a shoemaker to affix leather brake-linings, inventing the first brake pads.
- She and her sons even pushed the car uphill where the 2.5‑horsepower engine couldn’t manage the incline on its own
In doing so, Bertha didn't just launch an automotive industry—she launched the role of women in automotive innovation 🚗💪✨, reshaping perceptions and blazing a trail for future female pioneers. She later became the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame—in 2016, making her and Carl the first married couple so honored
🎙️ Hosted by Cindy Lawrence
📬 Mail us at Cindy@OnTheDriveSolutions.com
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