The Bertha Benz reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Bertha Benz

Sponsor with the world's largest charity for orphans

Bertha Benz, born Bertha Ringer, was the first person who drove a car over a longer distance.

Wife of Karl Benz, she the first person to drive an automobile over more than a very short distance. She drove with her 14 and 15 year old sons the newly constructed automobile August 5, 1888 from Mannheim to Pforzheim over a distance of 106 km. Other drives before were short and just trials with other persons helping. She did it without permission of her husband.

Links: