Mercedes-Benz has announced the India leg of the much-awaited transcontinental drive involving three Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury limousines travelling across the world.
The unique “140 Years. 140 Places.” drive celebrates 140 years of innovation, since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first ever automobile in 1886 in Germany.
The anniversary year celebrates Mercedes-Benz as the inventor of the automobile, its enduring legacy and future ambition to create the world’s most desirable cars and shape the future of mobility.
As part of the global initiative, three new S-Class named Gotlieb, Carl and Bertha are currently undertaking an epic trans-continental journey covering more than 60,000 kilometres across six continents and more than 55 countries, visiting symbolic 140 locations worldwide.
The iconic world tour highlights Mercedes-Benz’s culture shaping influence for millions of customers across continents, with its rich accomplishments in technology, unmatched heritage, pioneering spirit and a strong worldwide presence, earning customer trust and loyalty.
In India, the “140 Years. 140 Places” journey will trace stories of people, culture, craftsmanship and aspiration that define India. The journey will progress across some of the country’s most remarkable destinations, with the S-Class serving as the brand’s flagship ambassador of ‘innovation and progress” on four wheels.
The India 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.
To that end, the three S-Class’ will travel along two routes, each named after a Mercedes-Benz pioneer — Gotlieb, Carl and Bertha — together tracing the breadth of the country’s landscapes, heritage and craftsmanship.
Gotlieb will follow India’s northern frontier, beginning in New Delhi. This city brings together heritage, modernity, and India’s evolving luxury landscape, then moves to historic Amritsar and onward through Jammu, into the dramatic landscapes of Kashmir and the high-altitude expanse of Ladakh.
A defining chapter of this route will take the S-Class across some of the world’s most spectacular mountain roads of the mighty Himalayas, including Umling La, the highest motorable pass on earth, and the demanding passes around Manali, underlining the comfort, refinement and engineering capability that have made the S-Class a benchmark in luxury motoring across generations.
The drive will then descend to the cultural heartland of Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna, destinations known for craftsmanship, spirituality, artistry and enduring tradition, before crossing into Bhutan, the journey’s sole international leg, tracing the serene landscapes of the Himalayan kingdom before returning to Delhi for its conclusion.
Carl and Bertha, on the other hand, will travel west and southward, setting off together from New Delhi through Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Ahmedabad — destinations defined by architectural wonders, alluring royalty, refined craftsmanship and enduring artistry, before reaching Pune, a bustling industrial hub, and home to Mercedes Benz’s manufacturing facility in India.
From Pune, the two S-Class will chart individual paths, one through the cosmopolitan energy of Mumbai, while the second car will set out to capture the storied landscapes and grandiose of iconic Hampi, before reuniting again in Bengaluru, at the heart of Mercedes-Benz’s tech innovations and research and development centre in India.
This iconic journey will then continue westward to cover Goa and conclude in Mumbai; on the way, capturing the stunning western coast of India, weaving vibrant stories of the subcontinent’s topographical magic, magnificent landscape, cultural heritage and the relentless progress that continues to shape India.
