Mercedes-Benz returns three S-Class sedans after nine-month global tour
Three S-Class models completed a 65,000-kilometre journey across 55 countries in nine months, returning to Stuttgart for a festival that also debuted the new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV.
Three Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans named Bertha, Carl and Gottlieb arrived back at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on October 17 after nine months on the road. According to Mercedes-Benz, the vehicles departed on January 29 and covered more than 65,000 kilometres traversing 55 countries on six continents as part of the company’s ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ world tour, marking the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz filing the patent for the first automobile.
The homecoming was marked by ‘The 140 Festival’, which drew around 15,000 guests to the museum. A gathering of 140 historic and current Mercedes-Benz models accompanied the three returned sedans on their final kilometres, ranging from a replica 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen to contemporary electric vehicles and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which Mercedes-Benz identifies as the world’s most valuable car.
Testing across terrain and temperature extremes
The three S-Class models averaged approximately 450 kilometres per day, visiting locations including Stuttgart, Madrid, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Tokyo, Bangkok, Delhi, Sydney, Cape Town and Istanbul. The journey involved 67 border crossings and required resetting clocks 28 times as the vehicles crossed through 13 climate zones.
On India’s Umling La mountain pass at roughly 5,800 metres altitude, the vehicles demonstrated their powertrain’s reliability and capability. Temperature swings exceeding 50 degrees Celsius—from desert to tropical conditions—tested the climate control and filtration systems throughout.
The Mercedes-AMG GT SUV debut
The festival served as the stage for Mercedes-Benz to unveil the new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV. The company describes it as the Affalterbach division’s first full-size SUV designed from the ground up by the in-house engineering team. Built on the AMG.EA high-performance platform, the model combines an SUV’s proportions with performance characteristic of a sports car, according to the manufacturer. Mercedes-AMG characterized it as bringing
This article was compiled by the CityLifeBytes editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
