In a time when "car" was not even a word yet, and people relied on horses to pull their wagons, one woman challenged the status quo. To prove that her husband’s invention was the future of mobility, Bertha Benz went on the first long-distance journey with an automobile. 131 years later, we celebrate her with a short film launched on International Women’s Day and dedicated to all the brave and visionary ones who stop at nothing to move the world forward.

Sadly, gender inequality and the motor industry go hand-in-hand. There are fewer female drivers on the road and it’s is a known fact that woman are the subject of a disproportionate amount of road rage. How many female racing drivers can you name? Female leaders in motor companies? Likely few, if any.

Armed with a desire within Mercedes-Benz to support female drivers and change the status quo, we unearthed the story of Bertha Benz. Her story was the perfect example of a strong female visionary, going against what was expected of her and inspiring others. In a climate of female empowerment, and with many brands inventing stories to jump along for the ride, we told one that was authentic and intrinsically linked to the success of Mercedes-Benz.