140 Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

15,000 guests celebrated the return of the S-Class models Bertha, Carl and Gottlieb

‘The 140 Festival’.

October 18, 2026 – Exactly 140 years after Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile, three new Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloons set off on a journey around the world on 29 January 2026: Bertha, Carl and Gottlieb, named after the pioneers of individual mobility, Carl and Bertha Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. On 17 October, the four-wheeled globetrotters returned safely to where their intercontinental journey began – the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Over the course of nearly nine months, they covered more than 65,000 kilometres, averaging around 450 kilometres per day. Bertha and Gottlieb travelled from time to time in parallel to reunite again on the road across 55 countries on six continents. The journey involved a total of 67 border crossings, the clocks had to be reset 28 times and the climate control systems in the S Class vehicles regulated the temperature across 13 climate zones. The ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ tour was among Mercedes-Benz’s most ambitious activities. For the brand’s flagship and innovation leader, the S-Class, the nine-month world tour was arguably its most demanding endurance test.
After covering more than 65,000 kilometres across 55 countries on six continents, the three S-Class saloons returned to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
After covering more than 65,000 kilometres across 55 countries on six continents, the three S-Class saloons returned to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The global ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ tour put the new S-Class powertrain, chassis and comfort features to the test in real-world conditions.
The global ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ tour put the new S-Class powertrain, chassis and comfort features to the test in real-world conditions.
The homecoming of the three S-Class models was accompanied by the world premiere of the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV.
The homecoming of the three S-Class models was accompanied by the world premiere of the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV.
Further anniversary activities, including the opening of additional Mercedes-Benz Studios, will follow.
Further anniversary activities, including the opening of additional Mercedes-Benz Studios, will follow.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
After covering more than 65,000 kilometres across 55 countries on six continents, the three S-Class saloons returned to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The global ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ tour put the new S-Class powertrain, chassis and comfort features to the test in real-world conditions.
The homecoming of the three S-Class models was accompanied by the world premiere of the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV.
Further anniversary activities, including the opening of additional Mercedes-Benz Studios, will follow.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

Cities among the 140 locations were Stuttgart, Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Miami, New York, Toronto, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore, Kathmandu, Delhi, Mumbai, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Casablanca, Tunis, Istanbul, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Brooklands, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin and Munich.

Christina Schenck.

At the start of our global journey with our three S-Class vehicles, we made a promise: We’ll see you along the way. Today, at the ‘140 Festival’, we look back with gratitude on many special encounters and unforgettable moments shared with customers, fans and our teams around the world. This is what Mercedes-Benz stands for: for 140 years, we have combined a pioneering spirit and innovation with experiences that inspire people and become part of their lives. The return of our three globetrotters is a special moment for us. At the same time, it inspires us to further strengthen the connection people feel with our brand around the world.

Christina Schenck
Vice President Digital & Communications and Investor Relations
Christina Schenck.

Legends on wheels and a new Mercedes-AMG

The homecoming of the three S-Class saloons marked the highlight of the anniversary year ‘140 Years of Innovation’ and served as the occasion for a festival that brought the brand’s past, present and future onto the road. Mercedes Benz celebrated ‘The 140 Festival’ at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Bad Cannstatt together with fans, partners and companions of the brand, employees and their families, and media guests. A convoy of 140 vehicles represented the illustrious history of Mercedes-Benz across different eras, including the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen (replica), the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé as the world’s most valuable car, a Ponton 220 S, the futuristic C 111 experimental vehicle, the electric G Class, the electric C Class, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Door Coupé and the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung. Together, they accompanied Bertha, Carl and Gottlieb on the final kilometres to their destination.

Legends on wheels.
Legends on wheels.

An exciting highlight was the world premiere of the new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV . At the same time, Mercedes-AMG used the celebration as an opportunity to look ahead to the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2027. A live concert of the band “Die Fantastischen Vier” from Stuttgart rounded off the evening.

‘140 Years of Innovation’: More anniversary experiences to come Close

Even after the return of the three S-Class models from their global tour, Mercedes Benz will continue its ‘140 Years of Innovation’ anniversary year with further activities through to the end of the year:

  • The limited-edition adidas Samba OG x Mercedes Benz shoe has been available since 13 October.
  • Mercedes Benz Studios in international cities around the world will invite visitors to experience the anniversary story and the brand. Further studios will open following Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Sydney and Delhi, among other locations.
  • During the Advent season, the approximately 145-metre-long glass façade of the Mercedes Benz dealership at Donnersbergerbrücke in Munich will become an oversized Advent calendar in December – a highly visible attraction for automotive enthusiasts that brings 140 years of Mercedes Benz innovation to life.
  • In late autumn, customers will also be able to experience what the ‘140 Years of Innovation’ anniversary smells like inside their Mercedes Benz. Yuzu, an aromatic Japanese citrus fruit, and eucalyptus express ‘curiosity’ and ‘responsibility’. Notes of sandalwood and vanilla round off the fragrance.
  • Fans of the brand can look forward to a coffee-table book entitled ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’, documenting the intercontinental journey of the three four-wheeled globetrotters, their stops and encounters along the route.
140 Years of Innovation.

140 Years of Innovation.

Since Carl Benz registered his patent for the motor car (Motorwagen) in 1886 and Gottlieb Daimler built his motorised carriage (Motorkutsche) shortly afterwards, the history of Mercedes-Benz has for 140 years known only one direction: forward.

140 Years of Innovation Overview
140 Places Visual.

„140 Years. 140 Places.“

Mercedes-Benz is celebrating 140 years of innovation by driving three new S-Class saloons on a trans-continental journey to 140 locations worldwide. Each place highlights the brand’s technology, heritage, pioneering spirit and worldwide presence.

More on „140 Years. 140 Places.“