Trip marks 140 years of brand

A trans-continental journey celebrating 140 years of Mercedes-Benz reaches Auckland this week and will make its way down the country to Queenstown.

The marque says the tour, titled “140 Years. 140 Places”, will cover more than 50,000 kilometres across six continents, connecting 140 locations that “reflect the brand’s pioneering spirit, heritage and global presence”.

The New Zealand leg of the journey kicks off with a community car meet at Ardmore Airport, South Auckland, from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Wednesday, June 17.

There will be a showcase of vehicles from across the generations before the journey travels the country, culminating in Queenstown six days later. 

“Along the route, each stop will highlight not only the brand’s technological achievements, but also the people, stories, and communities that bring Mercedes-Benz to life,” the marque says.

The special celebration marks Carl Benz’s patent of the world’s first automobile in 1886, which was followed shortly by Gottlieb Daimler’s motorised carriage. 

“Since then, Mercedes-Benz has continuously set benchmarks in automotive engineering – from the invention of the automobile to today’s intelligent, safe, and electric vehicles,” the company adds.

The 140 Places journey began in Europe in January this year after the world premiere of the all-new S-Class and will conclude in Stuttgart this October. 

For more details, or owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles wanting to register to be part of the New Zealand events, click here.