The world's first gas station was a pharmacy in Wiesloch, Germany.

On August 5, 1888, Bertha Benz drove the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model III from Mannheim to Pforzheim. She took her two sons on the 106-kilometer trip without telling her husband, Karl Benz. The car engine had 2.5 horsepower and ran on a petroleum spirit called ligroin.Bertha ran out of fuel and stopped at the City Pharmacy in Wiesloch. The pharmacist, Willi Ockel, sold her five liters of ligroin from his stock. This transaction made the pharmacy the first place in the world to sell automotive fuel. The trip served as a real-world test for the new invention.During the drive, Bertha had to fix several mechanical problems. She used a hatpin to clear a blocked fuel pipe and her garter to wrap an electric wire. When the wooden brakes began to wear down, she asked a shoemaker to cover them with leather. This created the first brake linings.The journey took about 12 hours to complete. After the trip, Bertha suggested adding a lower gear to help the car climb hills. The pharmacy still exists today and has a monument out front to mark the event. The route she drove is now a protected historic site called the Bertha Benz Memorial Route.