Mercedes-Benz Museum Hosts Free 'The 140 Festival' on 18 October to Close the New S-Class World Tour
On Sunday, 18 October 2026, the Mercedes-Benz Museum stages a free experience day marking 140 years of the automobile, with classics, engine starts and a virtual-reality trip through S-Class history.
- 140 years
- around 65,000 kilometres
- 29 January 2026
- 11:00 to 17:00
What Happened
On Sunday, 18 October 2026, the Mercedes-Benz Museum becomes a meeting point for 140 years of automotive history. From 11:00 to 17:00, the free experience day 'The 140 Festival' presents vehicles spanning from the Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1886, the world's first automobile, through the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'gullwing' (W 198) to the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class of model series 223. Engine starts, rides in classics, expert talks, vehicle presentations, a pit-stop challenge and an immersive S-Class experience are meant to make the day an event for the whole family. The new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV will also be on show for the first time following its world premiere the previous evening.
Carl Benz files the patent for the Motorwagen; the Benz Patent-Motorwagen is the world's first automobile.
The '140 Years. 140 Places' world tour begins, exactly 140 years after the patent was filed for Carl Benz's Motorwagen.
Invited guests celebrate the return of the world tour.
The free public experience day 'The 140 Festival' runs from 11:00 to 17:00, closing the anniversary weekend.
With 'The 140 Festival', Mercedes-Benz celebrates the homecoming of the new S-Class from its '140 Years. 140 Places' world tour. Since 29 January 2026, three S-Class saloons have covered around 65,000 kilometres on all continents. Invited guests celebrate the return of the world tour on Saturday, 17 October 2026, and the free public experience day on 18 October 2026 forms the close of the anniversary weekend.
- Engine starts: original competition vehicles from Mercedes-Benz motorsport history create a racetrack atmosphere at the museum.
- Classic rides: passenger laps in vehicles from 140 years of Mercedes-Benz history, from the Benz Patent-Motorwagen to the current S-Class; Mercedes-Benz Trucks invites visitors to ride in a historic fire engine.
- Pit-stop challenge: timed tyre changes in two DTM show cars, a Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the kind Maro Engel drives in the 2026 season and a Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM from 2018.
- Immersive S-Class experience: a virtual-reality journey through the model history of Mercedes-Benz upper-class cars in seven chapters, from '140 Years of Innovation' to the new S-Class of model series 223, in the Great Hall on level E1, for 20 people at a time over around twelve minutes.
- Expert talks: former racing driver Ellen Lohr and further guests share knowledge and stories from 140 years of innovation.
- Special presentation: legendary Mercedes-Benz classics shown beside their modern interpretations, making technology and design history a dialogue between yesterday and tomorrow.
65,000kilometres
Driven on all continents since the tour started on 29 January 2026.
- Vision EQ Silver Arrow (2018)
- Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 (2016)
- Vision One-Eleven (2023)
Admission to the complete event programme on the outdoor grounds is free, while a visit to the permanent exhibition in the Mercedes-Benz Museum costs the regular admission price. Radio partner DIE NEUE 107.7 hosts the day, and numerous stalls across the whole event site provide food and drink. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00, with the ticket desk closing at 17:00; registration, reservations and current information are available Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 by telephone on +49 711 17-30000, by email at [email protected] or online.
Previously from Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is marking its 140th anniversary year. Earlier this month, our coverage reported that the company would stage several show premieres at the Paris Motor Show from 12 to 18 October 2026, including the fully electric VLE alongside new GLA, GLE, AMG and S-Class models.
- Mercedes-Benz brings electric VLE plus new GLA, GLE, AMG and S-Class models to Paris Motor Show 2026
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Mercedes-Benz's official releases.
Why this matters
The event marks 140 years since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile, an anniversary Mercedes-Benz is using to show its history alongside its newest S-Class. It also closes a world tour in which three S-Class saloons covered around 65,000 kilometres on all continents. Entry to the outdoor programme is free, so the public can attend, though the museum's permanent exhibition still charges its regular admission.
Terms in This Story
- DTM
- Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a German touring car racing series.
- Pit stop
- A brief stop during a race for tyres or other service; the festival's challenge times teams at changing tyres.
- Model series
- A manufacturer's internal designation for a particular generation of a vehicle model.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.