Germany's Classic Driving Machines
STUTTGART, Germany, --- The growing popularity among tourists to Germany cater to the age-old North American obsession with the automobile. And in the case of Germany, world-famous, legendary brands that forced the creation of the Autobahn, Germany’s also legendary no-holds-barred, speed limitless highway.
The ‘Peoples’ car, the original Beetle and beyond; the BMW “ultimate driving machine”; the solid speed of the Audi; the legend of the original Mercedes-Benz (which based their power on Lufthansa aircraft engines) and the classic Porsche – a car unlike any other.
“Our clients have unanimously asked for all roads leading to these now-legendary and stunning car museums,” explained Flavia Jaber, VP Production Development and Operations. “These famous cars of Germany have made an indelible impact throughout the world and people are anxious to explore the past century of product and design.”
Road to Germany ‘tour designers’ were able to speak with representatives of two of these museums in our pursuit of new itineraries for our clients.
According to Elke Bochhoff, director of Marketing and Sales for Road to Germany, car lovers have always delighted in tours that highlight the Volkswagen Autostadt theme park in Wolfsburg (“from the beloved Beetle to the sleekness of the 21st Century,” says Elke); the mushroom-shaped BMW Zentrum near Munich’s 1972 Olympic Village; and the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. (“Ah, Porsche – for many, there is no other.”
Mercedes-Benz however was the first classic German car to create a museum for its early 20th century achievements. In fact in 1923 this was the very first car museum anywhere in the world. According to spokesman Enrico Muller, “we not only pioneered the car, but the concept of the car museum.” The museum continued to evolve but with new brands and styles, Mercedes soon outgrew its original home within the plant at Stuttgart.
“We were not able to show the history of the development of our cars in the 80s and 90s”, he explained. As a result, Mercedes-Benz created the spectacular Mercedes-Benz World, a building alone that has been hailed by experts as one of the “true gems” of 20th century modernistic architectural design.
“Now we are able to show everything – our passenger cars, commercial vehicles and racing cars.” he explained. “In addition, it possible to see the complete history of automobiles that has made us very popular.”
Müller informed us that “40% of our visitors are female. That is because Mercedes-Benz is not just about the history of cars (but) provides very important information on both car and interior design.”
The Audi Forum provides an entirely different experience though it too, boasts attractions that appeal to both sexes and all age groups. Thomas Frank, speaking for Audi Forum, explained to us that “We have an Experience Centre, our Museum Mobile, a delivery area for people picking up their new cars, concerts and special theatrical events, cinema, jazz concerts, and services that include a bank, travel agency, and cafeteria.”
He added for those who cannot resist making a purchase, “we also have created a (rather large) delivery area for people picking up their new cars.”
Audi Forum, opened in December 2000, and yes, many people do indeed drop in to pick up their cars (one can just imagine the Gift Shop in this museum!), while others visit specifically to see the highly unique, round, glass Museum Mobile - new Audi prototypes are displayed on a vertical lift, which cycles through each of the featured models. For an ever-changing perspective, the background walls cycle horizontally through various scenes so that the car is always viewed in a different setting – sailing along the highway or parked watching the setting sun at the beach.
“What really sets Audi Forum apart “ insists Frank, “is that our museum is directly connected to our production building, where we offer over 22 different kinds of factory tours, some specifically designed for children.”
RoadtoGermany.ca director Elke concludes that, “Due to the growing number of requests for these types of unique interest programs, Road to Germany has recently designed visits that incorporate these amazing car museums and also provide Formula 1 race experiences for the true adventurers”.
For more information on how you can plan visits to one of these exciting automotive attractions into your next trip, visit: www.roadtogermany.com
by Rachel Landry / Steve Veale