Back in the 1870s, Bertha Benz was married to a penniless engineer named Karl Benz. What happened to Karl is now part of German automotive legend-- but Bertha had a crazy part to play in the Benz saga. Today on Past Gas, the story of Bertha Benz’s Big Ride, a 65 mile trek on a Benz Patent Motorwagen through the rugged, treacherous terrain of the Rhine Valley. Along the way, Bertha addressed mechanical issues on the fly, even originating a braking innovation that’s still in use today. It’s the story of the OG road trip-- driven by a fearless woman who put Benz on the map.

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