CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE MOTOR CAR ON THE 2026 RM SOTHEBY’ S LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUN
Special artwork commissioned to honour the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz’ s life-changing automotive innovation – a seminal moment in history.
This year’ s RM Sotheby’ s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run( Sunday 1 November) will celebrate the 140th anniversary of the birth of the world’ s very first production car – a landmark moment in global history that changed the course of mankind forever.
It was in Mannheim, Germany, that Carl Benz conceived the very first motor car, for which he was granted a patent in 1886 – widely recognised as the birth certificate of the automobile. The pioneering Benz Patent-Motorwagen was a revolutionary threewheeled carriage powered by a rear-mounted 954cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine, see p. 18 for the full feature.
To commemorate Benz’ s life-changing innovation and the dawn of motoring for the masses, the Royal Automobile Club has commissioned a special painting by renowned automotive artist Neil Collins ahead of this year’ s London to Brighton.
Collins’ evocative watercolour depicts Bertha Benz and her two teenage sons aboard one of her husband’ s early creations on what is widely regarded as the world’ s first long-distance journey in a combustionengined automobile. Bertha famously drove 66 miles from Mannheim to her home town of Pforzheim – only to discover that her parents were out when she arrived!
“ It’ s a truly fascinating story of how Bertha Benz completed this incredible journey and it was great fun using one’ s imagination to paint what must have been an extraordinary scene,” explained Collins, who has combined his love of cars and painting throughout his retirement.“ One can only imagine the consternation it would have caused travelling through German villages with thoroughfares lined by amazed onlookers as dogs and chickens ran for cover in the confusion.” Adding further symbolism and drama,
Collins has cleverly set the chaotic scene against a glowing sunrise to represent the dawn of motoring itself. Indeed, it was Bertha’ s epic journey that truly demonstrated the potential of motorised travel and helped ignite international interest in the automobile.
32 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run