The Southern Cape Region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of South Africa is proud to announce the exhibition of an exact replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the world’s first automobile, in celebration of the upcoming 140th Anniversary of the motorcar.
Originally built by Carl Benz in 1885 in Mannheim, Germany, the pioneering Motorwagen was patented on 29 January 1886 and publicly unveiled on 3 July 1886, achieving a then-remarkable top speed of 16 km/h. Carl Benz later developed two further versions-Models No. 2 and No. 3-with approximately 25 Motorwagens produced between 1886 and 1894.
No story of the automobile is complete without Bertha Benz, whose determination and vision provided the world’s first automotive publicity breakthrough. In August 1888, Bertha took the Motorwagen No. 3-accompanied by her sons Eugen (15) and Richard (14)-on the first-ever long-distance journey in an internal combustion vehicle. Her historic trip from Mannheim, through Heidelberg, to Pforzheim proved the practicality of the new invention and cemented the Motorwagen’s place in history.
The replica 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen will be on display at the George Museum from 15 December 2025 until 5 January 2026. It will also be featured in the annual Vettoer organised by the Southern Cape Old Car Club, and later form a highlight of the 2026 George Old Car Show. There it will appear in a special Benz showcase alongside a 1901 Benz Ideal (Crankhandle Club) and Waldo & René Scribante’s 1913 8/20 PS Benz Tourenwagen.
This historically significant replica is kindly on loan from the Mercedes-Benz South Africa East London Plant, underscoring its commitment to preserving and sharing the origins of automotive innovation.
Southern Cape Region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of South Africa to Showcase Replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagenhttps://t.co/EQAIlKImlK#ArriveAlive @MercedesBenz_SA pic.twitter.com/gILY6LPDJk
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) November 24, 2025
