Benz Spider and Mercedes-Simplex highlight 140 Years of the Automobile

Mercedes-Benz celebrates its 140th automotive anniversary with historic vehicles Benz Spider and Mercedes-Simplex; legacy models bridge 1886 invention to 2026 milestone.

In early November 2025, the streets of London once again set the stage for one of the world’s most atmospheric automotive events — the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Among the participants who completed the nearly 100-kilometre route to Brighton stood out the 1901 Benz Spider from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection. Despite rainy weather, the more than century-old car completed the course with confidence, reminding onlookers how the story of modern mobility began.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, noted that the Benz Spider’s participation carried strong symbolism: the car embodies the technological spirit of the dawn of the automotive age. After appearing at the St James’s Motoring Spectacle in central London, where the Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp was also displayed, the historic vehicles became a living testament to the engineering legacy the company will celebrate in 2026.

The coming year marks a double anniversary for Mercedes-Benz: 140 years since Carl Benz filed his patent for the motor car — regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile — and 100 years since the 1926 merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie., which created the Mercedes-Benz brand.

The London to Brighton Run itself dates back to 1896, when British motorists celebrated the repeal of the “Red Flag Act” and the increase of the speed limit to 14 mph. Today it remains the world’s longest-running motoring event, attracting more than 300 vehicles built before 1905. Each year at sunrise in Hyde Park, a red flag is symbolically torn before the convoy sets off for the sea and the finish line on Brighton’s Madeira Drive.

For Mercedes-Benz Classic, taking part in the run and the accompanying exhibitions is not only a tribute to the past but also the beginning of the countdown to a major milestone — 140 years of the automobile. The story that began in 1886 continues, uniting heritage and innovation in a single, enduring motion.