[the mole]

In 2007 I was fortunate enough to visit the Mercedes Benz Museum at Stuttgart. I think the start of any great museum is the building itself. In this case competition entries were invited from progressive architects from around the world in 2002 who would be able to deliver cutting edge design on the lines of Mercedes future line. The competition was was won by UN studio from Amsterdam headed by Van Berkel and Bos.

Through this thread I will post a detail walkthrough through the museum and its interiors as experienced by me on this trip. Incidentally entry for me was free as I am a member of the MB club.

At the entrance is a sculpture of Juan Manuel Fangio and his racing silver arrow.

First the Building....more to follow on the inside.

[PM - B]

Waiting for the rest in words and pics.

[aargee]

Thanks for sharing @Mole & pls bear lot of questions from me. Hope you'll be glad to answer them

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by the mole

In 2007 I was fortunate enough to visit the Mercedes Benz Museum at Stuttgart. I think the start of any great museum is the building itself. In this case competition entries were invited from progressive architects from around the world in 2002 who would be able to deliver cutting edge design on the lines of Mercedes future line. The competition was was won by UN studio from Amsterdam headed by Van Berkel and Bos.

Through this thread I will post a detail walkthrough through the museum and its interiors as experienced by me on this trip. Incidentally entry for me was free as I am a member of the MB club.

At the entrance is a sculpture of Juan Manuel Fangio and his racing silver arrow.

First the Building....more to follow on the inside.

That has come up newly I believe.Is it located in Stuttgart city? I had visited the Mercedes manufacturing plant in 2001, in Sindelfingen, off Poplingen near Stuttgart, just two days before 9/11. They had a small museum here that displayed an very early 1900's Daimler car, a 1960's black Mercedes 600SL Pullman convertible and a ripped apart C Class (for viewers to see the inside of the gearbox and engine) from their then current line up.

[the mole]

The Mercedes Benz Museum is made of interconnecting plateaus connected by Ramps. When one enters the building they are greeted by a very austere lobby finished with modernist details and Hints of automobile design. Only the Lifts which are designed in a futuristic manner are an indicator of what awaits the visitor.

From the Ground level the visitor is moved to the last level where the display begins and is transported down wards by ramps and other devices through various period in the development of the organization.

[@ri]

"the mole" thanks for starting up this thread. It sure is one hellova place and I would love to visit the place again.. donno when it would happen.
rather than hi-jacking the thread.. I'll let u upload your set of pics and substantiate whenever I find a place where I can substantitate with another view.
For starters here is another view of the museum from the outside.

[the mole]

The elevators drop off the visitor to the Beginning and as the museum puts in their own words " and in the beginning there was the horse". Note how the horse is put in a futuristic environment as a beginning to the progression of the early age of Mercedes Benz cars and automotive history itself.

The First cars "the Benz patent motorwagen" and the "velo" are displayed on a rotating display followed by a huge ramp which leads to gallery two, along the ramp are displayed all the early cars.

Please feel free to add info if you know more details about the cars

[aargee]

Originally Posted by the mole

The Mercedes Benz Museum is made of interconnecting plateaus connected by Ramps.

If I understood you right, visitors take either the left or the right side, keep walking towards top of building & then take the other side of the building & start descending. Is that right? And this is the order in which the cars are showcased in the ascending order of years. Basically, if I enter through left side ground floor, I should be exiting through the right side ground floor. Pls correct my understanding.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by aargee

If I understood you right, visitors take either the left or the right side, keep walking towards top of building & then take the other side of the building & start descending. Is that right? And this is the order in which the cars are showcased in the ascending order of years. Basically, if I enter through left side ground floor, I should be exiting through the right side ground floor. Pls correct my understanding.

Well not quite, you have to take a elevator to the top, rather you are guided by the attendant to take the elevator all the way to the top. You are dropped at where you see the horse.

Progression from here is very linear and you have no option but to take descending ramps downwards these ramps lead to galleries or as they are called plateaus of particular period like the one i have posted in my previous post.

Think of the whole thing as a helix, you start at the top and move in the clock wise direction downwards and yes in the ascending order ie. oldest first

[prasadee]

Thanks Mole.Those are very nostalgic pictures for me. It reminded me of my stay in Schwieberdingen and the visits to the museum. I had bought most of my gifts here. model cars, key chains of the 3 pronged star, caps, etc these were much appreciated by MB friends/fans back home. I have a feeling you picked up some good souvenirs as well.

[predatorwheelz]

When I found Amol Bhai creating a thread on the MB Museum, I thought "At Last, my favourite marque's history is about to come alive in pictures and words". Sadly, after waiting all evening, it turned out you only put up some pictures of the earliest category (pre-1900s) and no words at all!

Chalo, will compensate with some words and a few pics from my own collection, with a promise not to leap ahead until you open the next category. For now, a word on the pre 1900s only:

The wooden looking contraption in the following picture is the Gottlieb Daimler designed 1885 Petroleum Reitwagen. Though reitwagen means riding car, and it was intended as a test bed for Daimler's new engine, many credit it as the world's first true motorcycle.



The Velo and the Benz Patent Motorwagen, as already described by Amol, are mounted in a central display.

The Benz Patent Motorwagen, more famous of the pair, was the world's first practical automobile and a true lesson in functional engineering. It came with a single cylinder 462 cc engine producing all of 1.1 Bhp. The chassis was iron-reinforced wood, and brakes were non existent except a handbrake block for the rear wheels.

The 2nd pic is of the same pair, albeit taken 4 years before the first. Note the engine of the Motorwagen opened for reference:





The Velo was a star in its own right. The world's first production 4 wheeler, it cost 2000 DM in those days (wow!) and achieved a top speed of 20 kmph.

Pic below shows Benz's Daughter, Clara at the wheel of a Velo.



The Velo platform was used till 1902, in various forms, including a basic Velociped (car in the foreground in the pic below)..



..many many forms of covered carriages, a slightly more powerful "Dos - a - Dos" version, and even the 1897 Taxometer Droschke - the world's first taxi. A pic of this unique vehicle here:



Some other variants on the Velo platform:



Now as promised, I shall not get ahead and wait for Amol Bhai to lead us into the next chronological section.

[NOS Power]

Amazing pics there, predatorwheelz. Wish I could be there in person to see the cars that defined automobiles.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Chalo, will compensate with some words and a few pics from my own collection, with a promise not to leap ahead until you open the next category. For now, a word on the pre 1900s only:

Buddy your more than welcome to elaborate on the history lesson behind each car and I am glad your doing this. I am converting the next lot of images, i will comment only on the architecture and design of the museum. Please free to comment on the cars and also do post pics of the said models if they exist in India that way we will know what remains here. I am sure you will find the next gallery of edwardian cars very interesting. Will put it up later in the evening (need to sit and convert all the files into uploadable sizes)

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by the mole

Buddy your more than welcome to elaborate on the history lesson behind each car and I am glad your doing this. I am converting the next lot of images, i will comment only on the architecture and design of the museum. Please free to comment on the cars and also do post pics of the said models if they exist in India that way we will know what remains here. I am sure you will find the next gallery of edwardian cars very interesting. Will put it up later in the evening (need to sit and convert all the files into uploadable sizes)

Thank you. While you're converting your pics into uploadable sizes, I'm busy converting my old (film camera) pics, and pics from rare book references, into digital images! No hurry Amol Bhai, lets make this thread a grand spectacle.

Originally Posted by NOS Power

Amazing pics there, predatorwheelz. Wish I could be there in person to see the cars that defined automobiles.

Err, actually most of the pics - save a few rare and old images - will come from Amol Bhai . But expect a lot of boring narration from me.

[kapilvgupta]

Was lucky to have had a chance to visit this musuem in May'07.
Amazing display of automotive history, one starts at the top and as one moves down one can see the development in the automotive field

took a ton of pics at the place and will try and locate them..

The experiences that I'll never forget

• ride in the flight/rocket simulator on the last floor
• the awesome condition of test prototype c-class that was displayed after covering some 200+k miles (amazing proof of merc's build quality)
• sight of 9 merc s-class beauties lined outside the museum (some Benz deligation was visiting the museum that evening)

peace
~kg