Bengaluru became part of a transcontinental drive christened “140 Years, 140 Places”, conducted by Mercedes-Benz to celebrate 140 years since Carl Benz, the German mechanical engineer and inventor widely regarded as the father of the modern automobile, filed the patent for the world’s first automobile in 1886. Departing from Mercedes-Benz’s global headquarters in Stuttgart earlier this year, three S-Class sedans have travelled more than 40,000 kilometres across 23 countries and five continents, bringing the global anniversary celebration to Bengaluru.

These cars are named after the pioneers of the automobile: Carl Benz, Bertha Benz (Carl’s wife and business partner who undertook the world’s first long-distance road trip of 66 miles in 1888 to prove the car worked) and Gottlieb Daimler (a German engineer and industrial designer, who along with partner Wilhelm Maybach, independently developed a high-speed four-stroke engine and built the first four-wheeled motorised carriage in 1886).

As part of the India leg of the commemoration of the brand’s 140-year legacy, Carl and Bertha, two S-Class saloons from the anniversary convoy, were driven to two offices of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) at Brigade Tech Gardens in Brookfield and Embassy Crest in Whitefield in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

MBRDI, the Mercedes-Benz Group’s largest research and development centre outside Germany, contributes engineering and technology expertise across a wide spectrum of the company’s global development programmes.

Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO of MBRDI, said, “The Bengaluru stop carries particular significance for MBRDI, as the organisation marks its 30th anniversary this year.” MBRDI marked the occasion with celebrations across its Bengaluru campuses. The convoy will continue on its global route before returning to Stuttgart in October this year.

MBRDI is the largest research and development centre of Mercedes-Benz Group AG outside Germany. Established in 1996, it plays a prominent role in the development of technologies related to connected, autonomous and electric mobility. With offices in Bengaluru and Pune, MBRDI currently employs more than 8,500 professionals.