Mercedes-Benz is bringing its ‘140 Years. 140 Places’ transcontinental journey to India in July 2026. The luxury carmaker is undertaking this journey to celebrate 140 years since Carl Benz filed the patent for the world’s first car – the Patent-Motorwagen – thereby marking its own 140th anniversary. The journey, which has already passed through Europe, South America, North America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, is now on its way to India.
Mercedes 140 Years. 140 Places transcontinental journey: Additional details
Mercedes-Benz has been undertaking a worldwide road trip, visiting 140 locations to mark its anniversary year. The carmaker is utilising the recently updated S-Class, its flagship sedan, for this journey. Three S-Class models have been on this trip since January 29, 2026, covering 60,000km, crossing 55 countries and travelling across six continents. The carmaker says that the India leg of the journey will “celebrate the diverse places, people, myriad experiences and novel ideas that shape the world around us, documenting through key engagements across the route, the landscapes, traditions and innovations that make each destination unique.”
Each of the three S-Class models has been given a special name – Gotlieb (after Gottlieb Daimler, who made the first petrol-fuelled internal combustion engine), Carl (after Carl Benz, the maker of the world’s first car, Patent-Motorwagen) and Bertha (after Bertha Benz, the first person to perform a long-distance car trip). The models will travel along two routes across India.
Gotlieb will begin from New Delhi and make its way to Amritsar. From there, it will move towards Jammu and Kashmir and on to Ladakh. This S-Class will also travel on Himalayan roads, including Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world, and then head towards Manali. It will move eastward through well-known cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna, and explore Bhutan before concluding its trip in New Delhi.
Though Carl and Bertha will also start alongside Gotlieb from New Delhi, they will pass through Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Ahmedabad before heading towards Pune, which houses Mercedes’s manufacturing facility. From there, both cars will take different routes – one will go across Mumbai, while the other will explore Hampi – and then reunite in Bengaluru, which houses the brand’s India R&D centre. The cars will then travel westward towards Goa and conclude their journey in Mumbai.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dhruv Dhaka
Saptarshi Mondal
