Mercedes gathered 15,000 visitors at its museum grounds in Stuttgart on October 17 for The 140 Festival. The gathering commemorated the patent Carl Benz registered in 1886, marking 140 years of motoring history with a continuous line of machinery spanning fourteen decades. The gathering brought together brand collectors, staff, and international guests around the central campus.
The centrepiece of the public program was a moving motorcade of 140 vehicles, organised chronologically from the origin of the automobile to current series production. The procession traced the technical progression of the Stuttgart firm through individual running chassis, beginning with an operating replica of the original Benz Patent-Motorwagen.
Historical competition cars and design studies followed in sequence. The parade featured the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé alongside the rotary-powered C 111 experimental prototype from the late 1960s. Modern electric production vehicles brought the motorcade into current series manufacturing, giving attendees a direct line of sight through every era of body construction and powertrain architecture.
The Electric Architecture of Affalterbach
The anniversary weekend served as the stage for the world premiere of the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV. The vehicle represents the first full-size utility vehicle engineered entirely in Affalterbach rather than adapted from an existing passenger architecture. It enters the portfolio ahead of AMG reaching its 60th operating year.
The model rests on the dedicated AMG.EA electric platform, engineered specifically for high-output applications. Mercedes will offer the production vehicle across three technical specifications, led by a flagship model equipped with three axial flux electric motors. The powertrain generates a combined 1,169 horsepower, enabling acceleration from stationary to 100 kilometres per hour in 2.5 seconds.
Electrical charging capacity reaches 710 kilowatts on compatible direct-current infrastructure. This charging system accepts sufficient power to add 450 kilometres of operating range within a ten-minute stop. The platform deployment establishes the performance division's proprietary hardware direction for future battery-electric production series.
Three Mercedes Sedans Across Six Continents
The festival concluded the nine-month global transit of three current-generation S-Class sedans. Dispatched from Stuttgart on January 29 to mark the anniversary date of the original Benz patent, the trio carried the names Bertha, Carl, and Gottlieb. The cars returned to their origin point during Saturday's events.
The three sedans covered more than 65,000 kilometres each across 55 countries and six continents. The route crossed 67 international border controls and traversed alpine passes reaching elevations of 5,800 metres above sea level. The 140 vehicles from the anniversary parade escorted the three world-tour cars across the final kilometres leading directly into the museum courtyard.
The Stuttgart schedule concluded on Sunday with open public access throughout the museum facilities, presenting workshop discussions with company technical specialists. The 140-year commemoration continues through the rest of 2026, incorporating openings of new Mercedes-Benz Studios globally and a documentary publication chronicling the 65,000-kilometre expedition across the globe.
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