Mercedes Benz Museum
137/1 Mercedesstrasse 70327, Germany
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Description
Venue: Mercedes Benz Museum When: Daily; not Mon
Opened in 1923, the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart examines the history of the car since its invention.
The history of the automobile begins in 1886, when Carl Benz invented the very first patent motor-car in Mannheim. At the same time Gottlieb Daimler and Wilheim Maybach were working on the Daimler-Motor-Coach, producing their first car in 1901 - the Simplex. The name Mercedes originates from Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek, who bought 36 Simplexes, under the condition that the car would be renamed after his daughter!
The museum follows the rise of the Mercedes Benz to the present day, with over 80 objects on display. Among the exhibits are the 300 SL prototype, which started the era of the Mercedes sports cars in 1952. Highlights also include a Benz Spider from 1902, buried in an Irish coal mine for years until it was renovated and first exhibited in 1969, and the legendary racing car Lightning-Benz (1909), that achieved the incredible speed of 228km/h on the sands of Daytona Beach in 1911.
A new revamped Mercedes Benz Museum is set to open on 24 May 2006. Built along a curvaceous and layered design it will house over 175 vehicles. The museum will be part of the new Mercedes World mega-complex which will also include the Mercedes Benz Centre, where members of the public can splash out on all the latest models.