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 There
are a lot of things for a Car Guy to love about Germany. The Autobahn
is what might first come to mind, and the Nurburgring
Nordschleife ought to be a close second. Recently, one more reason
was added when Mercedes-Benz opened its spectacular showcase museum on
the grounds of its main manufacturing plant in Stuttgart.
Intricately designed and over-engineered in a way that's uniquely German,
this modern monument to the automobile's past is a fitting place for Mercedes-Benz'
display of the contribution its engineering prowess and stature made in
helping to create the history of personal transportation.
Built at a cost of $65 million and offering 54,000 square feet on nine
levels, the museum's "cloverleaf" of crisscrossing levels design
is intended to echo the layout seen in the nearby junction of highways
B14 and B10. Right.
The museum experience begins while still in the adjoining parking structure.
Enclosed in glass on the various levels and lightly interspersed between
parking spaces are "recent classic cars," Mercedes-Benz models
from the last (but not current) generation. An interesting idea, though
one not without its pitfalls-showcasing the last generation of E-class
helps to highlight how the '07 is a bit less distinctive, and that model,
along with the entire Mercedes-Benz lineup, is thoughtfully on display
(and for sale) in the Mercedes-Benz Center, less than a stone's throw
away from (and connected to) the museum.
Entering the museum proper, you buy your ticket (eight Euros, or about
$10), pick up a multi-language wireless receiver/headset and lanyard,
and then take one of three ultra-modern looking elevators to the top floor.
This is where the tour begins at horse-powered transportation, showing
what else but a horse? As you work your way down, there are Legend and
Collection rooms on each floor, with the former telling the story of the
brand by historical eras, while the latter shows off the depth and variety
of vehicles produced over the decades.
The Legend rooms begin with the Pioneers-The Invention of the Automobile
(1886 to 1900), proceeding to Birth of the Brand (1900 to 1914), Times
of Change-Diesels and Superchargers (1914 to 1945), Post-war Miracle-Form
and Diversity (1945 to 1960), Visionaries-Safety and the Environment (1960
to 1982), Moving the World-Global and Individual (1982 to the present
day) and finally Silver Arrows-Races and Records.
The Collection rooms start out with the Gallery of Voyagers, moving on
to Gallery of Carriers, Gallery of Helpers, Gallery of Celebrities and
then Gallery of Heroes. In all, there are about 80 passenger cars, 40
commercial trucks and 40 racecars and trucks on display.
At the conclusion of the walking tour, the centerpiece of the museum
is a display featuring Mercedes-Benz' motor racing history titled "Races
and Records." It's an impressive amalgamation of memorabilia, driver's
suits, trophies and, of course, some of the most historic cars in all
of motor racing.
Along the outer walls of the museum's gently declining walkway is a running
timeline of German and world history, and Mercedes-Benz place in it. These
storyboards and display of the relics of civilization are both intriguing
and curious in what is included, and what is left out-you get the feeling
that it's a project not quite complete, and perhaps it is not. The last
panels included happenings of just a few months prior, so clearly this
is always a work-in-progress.
There are several panels covering WWII, the Nazi regime, Mercedes-Benz'
manufacturing role as part of the Third Reich and forced labor supplied
from the concentration camps. These aspects in particular were tastefully
done, emotionally compelling, appropriately representative and respectful
to history.
The only disappointing section of the Mercedes-Benz museum is the quality
of chotzkys offered in the multitude of souvenir buying areas on the entry
floor. Sure, the car models were cool and reasonably priced, but forget
about finding a good-looking baseball-style cap. Not going to happen.
Oh well, there's always the online
store.
Whether a fan of the Mercedes-Benz brand or not, if you find an opportunity
to be within a six-hour drive of Stuttgart (which includes Frankfurt,
Munich and most of central/southern Germany), you owe it to yourself to
spend a day checking out this museum; it belongs on every Car Guy's must-see
list. Plus, you get to keep the spiffy M-B museum lanyard as a parting
gift.
Museum hours:
9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays.
Online: Mercedez-Benz
museum
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