Close Menu
  • City trips
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Mauritius
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
    • Asia
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Maldives
      • Oman
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • New Zealand
      • Queensland
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bulgary
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Lithuania
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
        • Azores
      • Russia
      • Spain
        • Ibiza
        • Lanzarote
        • Mallorca
      • Switzerland
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Mexico
  • Hotel tipps
  • Swiss hiking
Recent Posts
  • Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time
  • What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital
  • What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time
  • Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
travelmemo
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • Commendable hotels
  • Golf
  • Restaurants
  • Hiking
  • City Trips
travelmemo
You are at:Home»Germany»Mercedes-Benz Museum – A Passion for Horsepower
Germany

Mercedes-Benz Museum – A Passion for Horsepower

Walter SchaererBy Walter SchaererFebruary 15, 201426 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

The Mercedes-Benz Museum showcases more than 125 years of automotive history. 160 glittering, shiny vehicles compete on nine levels to stir the gasoline in your veins …in our case especially, because they let us take the first car ever made dating from 1886 for a test drive! But let’s take it one step at a time:

Opened in 2006 by Daimler Chrysler, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is a stand-out first because of its unusual architecture . Just like his client, the Dutch architect Ben van Berkel largely did away with corners and edges in building this double helix structure .

The museum’s shell is constructed mostly of materials the automotive industry also uses: glass and aluminum . The building succeeds with a convincing exterior and an interior that gets out of the way to let the cars be the show. No wonder then that it has been heaped with major architecture prizes…

Exterior of the Mercedes-Benz Museum <br />© Daimler AG
Exterior of the Mercedes-Benz Museum
© Daimler AG

Mercedes-Benz Museum – The fascination of technology

The starting point for viewing the car exhibition is actually on the eighth floor. You float up to those lofty heights in one of the eye catching retro-look lifts that let you glimpse the different epochs as you rise past the respective levels dedicated to them.

On the left, Gottlieb Daimler‘s motor carriage; on the right, Carl Benz' Patent Motor Car
On the left, Gottlieb Daimler‘s motor carriage; on the right, Carl Benz' Patent Motor Car

Wandering down the sloping circular ramp through the exhibitions is like taking a unique stroll through time as the automotive history of Mercedes-Benz unrolls, one legend after the other, all in chronological order!

Also a success is how the automotive history integrates with the historical context: Large format wall charts illustrate world events during a given era. It’s all here, the glamor and the glory, from the Beatles to Einstein.

Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing
Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing

Besides the previously mentioned legend rooms the exhibition is also split into collection spaces for thematically displaying the abundance and variety of vehicles bearing the Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz logos.

Walk down either double helix, or you end up in the exhibit “Silver arrows – Racing and Records“. Positioned on a banked curve are legendary record-breaking cars: the Phoenix race car, Lightning Benz, Silver Arrows, White Elephants (nickname given the super-heavy S-series race cars) all the way to Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 Formula 1 World Championship racer.

Formula-1 Silver Arrows in the Mercedes-Benz Museum
Formula-1 Silver Arrows in the Mercedes-Benz Museum
DTM racer on the Museum’s banked curve
DTM racer on the Museum’s banked curve

If you ever wondered, by the way, what the three points on the “Mercedes star” are all about: The three-pointed star symbolized Gottlieb Daimler‘s efforts toward universal motorization “on land, in water and in the air“.

Mercedes star and exhaust pipes in the Mercedes Benz Museum
Mercedes star and exhaust pipes in the Mercedes Benz Museum

And further, the brand can thank the daughter of the wily race car driver and Daimler dealer Emil Jellinek for the “Mercedes” name: It was he who prodded Daimler’s chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach (also have a familiar ring?) to build a race car instead of the then-typical “motorized horse buggies. “ That first “Mercedes“ with its robust 40 horsepower engine totally crushed the competition in the 1901 “Nizza (Nice) Racing Week“…

The sporty "Mercedes" Simplex 40 PS, so-named after the daughter of Daimler dealer Emil Jellinek
The sporty “Mercedes” Simplex 40 PS, so-named after the daughter of Daimler dealer Emil Jellinek

And just to conclude the story of the name: The engine and design pioneer Carl Benz was the leading car maker until about 1900, when Daimler overtook him; and then, in 1926, the two merged their companies into Daimler-Benz AG.

The Benz Patent Motor Car – the world’s first gasoline-powered automobile

And here we go: During our visit we agreed to the challenge of passing the driving test in the 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car… This “three wheeler” was the world’s very first gasoline car and represents the birth of the automobile!

Test pilot Walter with the Benz Patent Motor Car
Test pilot Walter with the Benz Patent Motor Car

Carl Benz designed his motor car with three wheels, because he was not happy with the steering systems that were standard in four-wheeled vehicles of the time. The double-pivot steering system that he developed and first patented seven years later is still in use today.

So that we would be allowed to drive this motorbike, which actually is a velocipede, we of course had to first pass a written test. That’s because driving such a legendary car – even one that only gets up to 12 mph – takes know-how!

After all, you need to know what to do if the 0.9 horsepower engine should overheat. Its impressive fuel economy of 10 liters of benzine (petroleum naphtha) and need for 100 liters of cooling water for each 100 kilometers driven does present some unusual challenges when all is said and done…



What a gas!

And here’s the proof: I am now one of the few to have driven the first car in the world!

My newest driver’s license for when I hit the road in the Benz Motor Car
My newest driver’s license for when I hit the road in the Benz Motor Car

(Post script for my environmentally conscious sister: No, I still don’t own a car!)

The Mercedes-Benz Nights of the Stars

Frankly, we didn’t travel to Stuttgart just for thrills in the curves, but for the gourmet Nights of the Stars, the latest edition of the exclusive Mercedes-Benz Nights of the Stars held from February 4- 9, 2014. Two times a year, Mercedes Benz transforms its car museum into a first-rate gourmet temple.

One top chef at a time hosts a culinary extravaganza on the top floor that silences any and all engine noise! We report on this “must try” experience with all the spicy details here .

You can find more images of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in our Flickr photo gallery:

[slickr-flickr search=sets set=”72157641002972784″ type=”gallery”]

Our thanks go to…

… Friederike Valet and Mareen Hoeppner with the Mercedes-Benz Museum for organizing our trip! We also extend warm thanks to Dietmar Gustke, Michaela Baumgarten, and Mark Scheerer for giving us the unique experience with the Benz three-wheeler! Our knees are still shaking ;-)

What stayed with us from the test drive as well as the museum tour during the Nights of the Stars: Staff members of the Mercedes-Benz Museum seem to have gasoline in their blood. With obvious passion and motoring proclivity these professionals know how to impart to their guests the enthusiasm they feel for “their” cars. Bravo, great job!

Many thanks also to Oliver Sefrin, head of Press and Public Relations in the German National Tourist Board (DZT) in Zurich und Sandra Nörpel of Stuttgart Marketing for the impeccable organization and support during this trip!

Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleAlpine Luxury and Designer Spa at the Zhero Hotel Kappl
Next Article Gourmet Menu in a Car Museum – the Mercedes-Benz Nights of the Stars
Walter Schaerer
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Walter’s extensive background in the travel industry, passionate enthusiasm for photography and a firm belief that luxury destinations can also be affordable; were some of the main factors that motivated him to create the travel blog travelmemo.com. In his day job, Walter is an online marketing manager based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Related Posts

Ophelia Restaurant at the Riva Konstanz and two tragic travel bloggers

June 24, 2017

Swissôtel Dresden am Schloss – Saxon hospitality meets Swiss design

January 1, 2016

Dresden, Saxony’s historic capital: designed to charm

December 18, 2015
View 2 Comments
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Travel along to inspiring destinations
Welcome to our travel blog! Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.



We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

Travel blog on one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

About us
About us

Katja and Walter are passionate travel bloggers that care about design and boutique hotels and the personalised experience they offer. Their travelogues cater to discerning couples interested in a stylish atmosphere and romantic hideaways.

Walter & Katja founded the travel blog back in 2010.

Read more about us here!

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube RSS
Our latest travelogues

Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time

What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital

What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time

Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.

Hiking in Madeira: discover the breathtaking beauty of the Island of Flowers

Sardinian Shores Unveiled: An Unforgettable Self-Guided Boat Journey Along the Rugged East Coast

Southern Sardinia Uncovered: From Cagliari’s Charms and Chia’s Flamingos to the Beaches of Costa Rei

Sardinia’s Eastern Shores: Discovering Orosei and the Hidden Beaches from Cala Liberotto to Cala Goloritzé

Our travel topics
Alps (54) Animals (15) Architecture (38) Beach (33) Boutique Hotel (73) City Trip (39) Contributions (30) Country House (17) Culture (26) Design (69) Dinner (23) Experience (38) Flight (9) Golf (18) Gourmet (35) Hiking (21) Itinerary (9) Lake (16) Landscape (74) Lodge (24) Luxury (63) Masseria (9) Mr and Mrs Smith (15) Museum (9) Nature (102) Puglia (13) Relais & Châteaux (16) Relax (13) Rental Car (26) Resort (31) Restaurant (42) Road Trip (9) Rural (23) Safari (21) Shopping (9) Singapore (9) Spa-Wellness (47) Summer (8) Swiss Deluxe Hotels (16) Sydney (11) Tour (28) Wilderness Safaris (8) Winter (22) Zermatt (12) Zurich (13)
Join us in inspiring destinations!

Welcome to our travel blog!

Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

© travelmemo.com by Walter Schaerer & Katja Birrer
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
© 2010 - 2025 Travelmemo, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.