Unexpected Courage of Bertha Benz
In early August 1888. without her husband's knowledge, Bertha Benz, with her sons Richard and Eugen, fourteen and fifteen years old, drove in one of Benz's newly constructed Patent Motorwagen No. 3 automobiles from Mannheim to Pforzheim, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over more than a very short distance.The distance was about 104 km (65 mi). Distances traveled before this historic trip were short, and merely trials with mechanical assistants
Although the ostensible purpose of the trip was to visit her mother, Bertha Benz also had another motive: to show her brilliant husband – who had failed to consider marketing his invention adequately – that the automobile would become a financial success once it was shown to be useful to the general public.
On the way, she solved numerous problems. She had to find Ligroin, a solvent available only at dispensing chemists' shops, to use as fuel. Thus the still existing Stadt-Apotheke (Town Pharmacy) in Wiesloch, some kilometres south of Heidelberg, became the world's first filling station blacksmith had to help mend a chain in Bruchsal..Brake linings were replaced in Bauschlott/Neulingen north of Pforzheim.And Bertha Benz had to use a long, straight hatpin to clean a fuel pipe which had become blocked, and a garter to insulate a wire.
Bertha and her sons left Mannheim around dawn and reached Pforzheim somewhat after dusk, notifying Karl of their successful journey by telegram. They drove back to Mannheim three days later, by a different itinerary.
Along the way, several people were frightened by the automobile and the novel trip received a great deal of publicity – as she had sought.[17] The drive was very helpful for Karl Benz, as he was able to introduce several improvements after his wife reported everything that had happened along the way – and she made important suggestions, such as the introduction of an additional gear for climbing hills.
read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Benz_Memorial_Route
