Which car did Bertha Benz drive on the first long-distance automobile journey in 1888?

Bertha Benz drove a Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model 3 on the first long-distance automobile journey in August 1888.

Without telling her husband in advance, Bertha traveled with her sons Eugen and Richard from Mannheim to Pforzheim in Germany. The outward journey covered roughly 106 kilometers, and the return trip made the demonstration even more significant. She used roads intended for horse-drawn traffic and solved practical problems along the way.

Bertha bought ligroin fuel from a pharmacy in Wiesloch, which is often described as the world’s first filling station. She also used a hatpin to clear a blocked fuel line and a garter to insulate a wire. These details are central to the story because they show how early motoring required constant mechanical improvisation.

The journey helped prove that Benz’s invention could operate beyond a short local test and gave the automobile valuable publicity.