[Nikhilb2008]

It begins with work as it always does in our family. My dad is a workaholic and some people see me taking the same path. Little do they know; it's an act! I'm as lazy as my dad is hardworking!

Anyway, every alternate year, a show called Automechanika happens at Frankfurt which my dad has visited religiously every time since 1988. He has rarely gone elsewhere in Germany after the show to enjoy some time off.

This time I was accompanying him and was very keen on showing him something else apart from Frankfurt. So, we planned to visit the Mercedes Museum and the Porsche Museum. Both of them being close to each other helped matters.

One of my dad's German friends offered to guide us around for those 2-3 days.

So, without much ado, let me dive straight into the photos.


Pic outside the museum. The two chaps in the picture are my dad and his friend.







Daimler Motorkutsche 1886. The first 4 wheeled automobile. It was a conventional carriage where the horse had been replaced with an engine.



Benz Patent Motorwagen 1886. This was the first gasoline engined automobile. He designed it with 3 wheels as Karl Benz was not happy with the steering systems available for 4 wheeled carriages at that time.




Benz Omnibus 1895.




A glimpse of the hall showcasing the first cars to bear the Mercedes brand name.





Mercedes-Simplex 60 PS Reiselimousine 1904. This particular vehicle was owned by Emil Jellinek who bought it in 1904 and had the comfortable touring limousine body fitted at a later stage. Emil Jellinek was a businessman and seller/distributor of Daimler cars.

Jellinek came to an agreement with DMG on April 2, 1900 by promising the large sum of 550,000 Goldmark if Wilhelm Maybach would design a revolutionary sports car for him, to be called the Mercedes, of which 36 units had to be delivered before October 15.

The deal also included an order for 36 standard DMG 8 hp cars. Jellinek also became a member of DMG's Board of Management and obtained the exclusive dealership for the new Mercedes for France, Austria, Hungary, Belgium and United States of America. Jellinek had some legal problems over the use of the Daimler name in France with Panhard Levassor who owned the Daimler licences for France, and the use of the Mercedes name put an end to that problem.

Jellinek laid down a strict specification for the Mercedes stating "I don't want a car for today or tomorrow, it will be the car of the day after tomorrow". He itemized many new parameters to overcome the problems found in many of the ill-designed "horseless carriages" of the time which made them unsuitable for high speeds and at risk of overturning:

1.Long wheelbase and wide track to provide stability.
2.Engine to be better located on the car's chassis.
3. Lower center of gravity.
4. Electric ignition using the new Bosch system (in lieu of a gas heated glow tube).

The model would be officially called the Daimler-Mercedes which the DMG chairman accepted readily as it overcame the problem of the Daimler name in France being owned by Panhard & Levassor.

Over the next few months, Jellinek oversaw the development of the new car at first by daily telegrams and later by traveling to Stuttgart. He took delivery of the first one on December 22, 1900, at Nice's railway station – it had already been sold to the Baron Henry of Rothschild who had also raced cars in Nice.

In 1901, the car amazed the automobile world. Jellinek again won the Nice races, easily beating his opponents in all the capacity classes and reaching 60 km/h (37 mph). The director of the French Automobile Club, Paul Meyan, stated: "We have entered the Mercedes era", a sentiment echoed by newspapers worldwide.

The records set by the new Mercedes amazed the entire automobile world. DMG's sales shot up, filling its Stuttgart plant to full capacity and consolidating its future as a car making company. The number of employees steadily increased from 340 in 1900 to 2,200 in 1904. In 1902, on June 23, the company decided to use the Mercedes name as the trademark for its entire automobile production and officially registered it on September 26.






Mercedes 75PS Doppelphaeton 1908





Mercedes-Benz 320 Stromlinien Limousin 1939






1927 Mercedes Benz 12/55PS Pullman Limousine

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1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3

One of the classiest Mercedes' ever. Looks fantastic in the flesh. This was the predecessor of the S class.









In the passages between the halls, there is a lot of information about various periods of Mercedes-Benz history. This part spoke about how forced labour was used during the 2nd World War. The shoe shown here was made of wood and very heavy. It was compulsory for the labourers to wear it. It made a noise so no one could sneak away. It was also heavy so people would struggle to run in it.

There is also a fragment of a bomb that fell on the factory during the bombing carried out by the Allies.







A view of the next hall.



1923 Mercedes 10/40PS Sport Zweisitzer.





1928 Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 PS Typ S Tourenwagen






1938 Mercedes-Benz 260D Pullman Limousine




1937 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser offener Tourenwagen

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1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet B









1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Spezial Roadster











1952 Mercedes Benz 300. This was the fastest and biggest German car in 1951. It became a status symbol in post War Germany because it was the car of choice for the Chancellor, Adenauer. Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. As the first post-war Chancellor of Germany from 1949 to 1963, he led his country from the ruins of World War II to a productive and prosperous nation.





Next is the hall of arguably the most iconic Mercedes ever. The 1952 SL Gullwing coupé and the Roadster.

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1955 300 SL Gullwing Coupe. The racing W194 300SL was built around a tubular chassis to offset its relatively underpowered carbureted engine. Designed by Daimler-Benz's chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the metal skeleton saved weight while still providing a high level of strength. Its unique architecture gave birth to the model's distinctive gull-wing doors, as part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a standard door. Even with the upward opening doors, the 300SL had an unusually high sill, making entry and exit from the car's cockpit problematic.

One of the all time great Mercedes. One of the best looking as well.





















1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster







1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut-Coupé. This was built purely for racing in the 1956 season but in 1955 after a horrendous accident at LeMans(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster), Mercedes pulled out of motorsport for good. So, this car served the head of the Test Department, Rudolph Uhlenhaut. The nickname is a reminder of this.

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A hall showing the use of MB vehicles in the public sector. Fire engines, ambulances, etc are displayed here.




1964 Mercedes Benz 230 SL. Nicknamed the Pagoda because of it's hardtop.







1980 Mercedes-Benz 300D. The first luxury car to have a diesel engine.




Mercedes-Benz 190E. The Baby Benz. It is the predecessor to what we know as the C Class.



2 cars showing how cars were tested on the roads in those days. Without OBD ports and diagnostic equipment, the test car was physically connected to another car with all the recording equipment.

The test car shown here is a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 220S. It was nicknamed the Tailfin due to the design of the rear of the car.

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Next we entered a hall which displayed actual cars used by famous personalities from around the world.

Near the entrance was a showcase showing the evolution of the Mercedes brand and logo on various merchandise.





1991 Mercedes-Benz 500SL. This was Princess Diana's car. She liked the car and bought it but it created a controversy in England because she had spurned local manufacturers and opted for a German car. Eventually she returned the car to Mercedes and it stands today in the Museum.




1980 Mercedes-Benz 230G Popemobile. Made for Pope John Paul II's visit in 1980 to Germany to protect him from wind and rain. After the assassination attempt in May 1981, this was modified with bulletproof glazing and glass. After the modification, this car accompanied the Pope on many of his journeys.








1926 Mercedes-Benz 24/100/140 PS Roadster.

Owned by an industrialist Oscar Henschel. Other prominent owners of a 24/100/140 MB were the King of Afghanistan, politician Gustav Stresemann and juggler Enrico Rastelli.





1932 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Cabriolet F. This was used by the former German Emperor Wilhelm II during his exile in the Netherlands after the First World War. Instead of the Mercedes star, the coat of arms of the Hohenzollern family adorns the radiator. The navy gray paintwork of the luxurious convertible betrays the emperor's preference for the fleet. Inside are a map case and a net for a field marshal's baton and binoculars.




1935 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Pullman Limousine.

This was owned by the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. The giveaway is the Chrysanthemums on the doors. The occupants of this car were protected by steel armor in the roof and doors and special glazing, as thick as a finger, for the side windows, the rear screen and the partition.







1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Staatslimousine. This fully armoured state limousine with a raised roof was the car of choice for dictators, heads of state, kings and wealthy businessmen.






1958 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. Famous owners of this car included Karim Aga Khan, Grace Kelly, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Francoise Sagan.






The big yellow bus you see in the background is a replica of the team bus of the football World Cup winning team of 1974

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1959 Mercedes Benz 300. This was another car used by the West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. This was his last official car. It was the 6th 300 model owned by Adenauer which is why this car attained an iconic status in the market.



The Mercedes ML class from the Jurassic Park movie series



1984 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 AMG. This was owned by Ringo Starr, the former drummer of The Beatles. He bought a stock 190E in 1984 and then had it converted it to the 2.3 AMG in England. It got a more powerful 2.3 litre engine, spoiler, sports steering wheel, sports exhaust and coloured light alloy wheels.





1988 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL. This was owned by actor Hardy Kruger.





A display of the logos used on MB cars over the past decades.

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The final part of the museum display involves motorsport. It does look very good. It is a beautifully designed display and the amount of information available is just too much. It can be an overload for most of us! I know it was for me!










Mika Hakkinen's overalls during his championship winning season of 1998.



Various trophies won by the Mercedes team over the years



A trophy of Juan Manuel Fangio.






After the motorsport section, they have a collection of record breaking cars.


1938 Mercedes-Benz Zwolfzylinder Rekordwagen W125
Rudolf Caracciola recorded the highest ever speed attained to this day on a public road when he averaged 268.9mph between Frankfurt and Darmstadt.








1939 Mercedes-Benz Weltrekordwagen T80
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, powered by the DB 603 Aero engine and developed 3000HP; the T80 was to become the world's fastest car on 4 wheels and reach a speed of 373 mph on the motorway near Dessau in early 1940. However, the outbreak of World War 2 prevented the car from being completed and the T80 never hit the road.





2001 Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving.




With this, the Mercedes museum drew to a close. We had lunch at the restaurant (one of the best steaks I've eaten ) and then proceeded to Zuffenhausen for the Porsche Museum. Coming soon!

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As we were parking the car in the underground parking lot below the museum, we realised we in the heart of Porsche country!
You can actually rent a Porsche and drive it as long as you have an International Driving Permit.












The entrance to the museum has these 2 beauties standing right there.












1932 Austro Daimler Bergmeister. This was designed by Austro Daimler when Ferdinand Porsche Sr was helming the company. Today it has been immaculately restored and is a prize winner at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.










1950 Porsche 356 SL Coupé









1954 Porsche 500 Spyder that participated in the Carrera Panamericana.

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1962 Porsche 804 Formel 1.



A display of the fiberglass used to build the bodies of Porsches. To show how light and thin it is, they have a light behind the piece of fibreglass. They say the fiberglass reinforced plastic body of the 908 weighs only 130 kgs.




1964 Porsche 911 2.0 Coupé





1963 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS




1969 Porsche 908 LH Coupé







1968 Porsche 909 Bergspyder








1968 Porsche 908 KH




Porsche 912 Coupe. A porsche 911 but with a 4 cylinder engine instead of the usual 6.





Porsche 914. A joint effort between VW and Porsche to make an affordable sports car for the masses. This car is actually red. If I set the camera to show the true colour, the car itself is not very clear. So, I took two pics to show both the original colour and the actual shape of the car.






1971 Porsche 917/20 Coupé


It was not the prettiest car so someone commented, "It looks like a fat pig". A nickname with consequences. The 917 gets a pink paintjob and is illustrated with labelled portions of meat. Although the "Hog" doesnt finish the LeMans race, it is one of the most photographed cars at the event.







1973 Porsche 917/30 Spyder. Called one of the strongest racing cars of all time, this 12 Cylinder model dominated the circuit races. Fed up with the domination of Porsche, the Americans change the racing regulations which results in the exclusion of the 917/30.

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1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Coupé. No words to describe this beauty. This has fed dreams of many youngsters across the world including me. I loved this car while playing Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. It looks absolutely gorgeous. In my opinion, the sexiest looking Porsche ever.





1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR




Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 Coupé




1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0




1977 Porsche 935 "Baby"



1977 Porsche 936/77 Spyder. Developed specifically for the World Sportscar Championship, the 936 ranks among the most successful cars made by Porsche with 3 LeMans victories. 1976, 1977 and 1981.






Porsche 924.






Just a lovely view of the racing cars. Probably the view the competitors had!




1994 Porsche Studie "C8": This needs to be mentioned. This is car developed by Porsche for the Chinese market. The number 88 is considered lucky in Chinese culture and so Porsche decides to present this car at a show in Beijing as the C88. The model has been designed to be manufactured with simple production methods while at the same time providing quality and safety. Ultimately, the Chinese authorities do not permit Porsche to manufacture in China thankfully seeing the demise of this project.






1987 Porsche 959. The fastest car in the world but upstaged immediately by the Ferrari F40. For the rest of it's life, the 959 sits in the shadow of the F40.






1990 Porsche Carrera 2 Cup: This was one of 40 identical 911s competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup.






1986 Porsche 959 Paris Dakar. This 959 was modified to race in the world's toughest race, the Paris-Dakar Rally. Not only did it participate but it scored a double victory. And a 3rd 959 finished in 6th even though it was running as a service vehicle.

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A nice display of some of the trophies and prizes won by Porsche at various events.



1994 Porsche 962 Dauer Le Mans GT.




1997 Porsche 911 GT1.



1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion. To race the GT1 in the international races, Porsche had to make a street legal version of the race car. This particular model is the result of that. 20 cars had to be made and each sold for DM 1.5 million




1998 Porsche LMP1



Porsche Carrera GT.







2008 Porsche RS Spyder.



Just general views of the museum from the upper floor. It looked heavenly. Even now, just viewing the pics while I'm uploading them, I'm getting goosebumps. It's a sight that will stay with me forever.








This is the actual 918 that was used to set a sub 7-min time around the 'Ring.




The 918 in white as displayed in the museum.

[Nikhilb2008]

After visiting the Mercedes and Porsche Museums in one day, we called it a night. We were driven from Stuttgart to a small town called Waldsee where my dad's friend lives.

We checked into a charming little hotel run by a family.

The next morning we left somewhat early and went to a town called Speyer.

Speyer has one of the best technical museums in Germany I believe. I didnt know what to expect as our host didnt reveal too much about the place. But when we reached there, I was really impressed and amazed!

The Museum actually has aircrafts of various types on display there! Not just mock-ups of planes, but the actual planes themselves.

This was seriously impressive.

After this, the indoor display area had a lot of cars and bikes and some more aircrafts and remains of WWII aircrafts which had been salvaged and have been hung up as displays.

There is a sister museum of this place in a place called Sinsheim where they have an actual Concorde on display! I definitely plan on going there next time!

Ok. Enough of the write-up. Back to the pictures.



On our way to Speyer we stopped on the banks of the Rheine river.




A view of some of the aircrafts on display.












A Military Mi-24 chopper.





The Antonov AN-22






A 1980 Mi-14. Inside the Mi-14.






1986 McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.




Boeing 747-230. For the first time I got to go to the Upper Deck of the Boeing 747. But still didnt manage to sit in any of the seats!









Another old Lufthansa plane



1960 McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom



McDonnell F-101 Voodoo




The view from the Boeing 747 looking out over the Museum to the Speyer Church.




Sukhoi Su-22



1953 Cadillac Convertible.

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They also have a real U-Boat on display. Any visitor can enter the U boat and see for themselves how cramped the quarters are and the torpedo launching bays! Very cool!











The kitchen area of the U boat





The sleeping arrangements





The Toilet. The transparent door is an optional extra!





Another view of the 747 and the AN-22







Honda S800



Mercedes Benz 630. Body built by Park-Ward of London.




1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. This is a Beetle in an extravagant special body. Designed by Ghia in Turin VW sold 362,585 cars between 1955 and 1974.

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Porsche 356C




1958 Borgward Isabella Coupé



1962 Mercedes 300 SL Roadster


1934 Mercedes Benz 380K