On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz received the patent for the world’s very first car. It was on that day that the one of the most significant inventions to grace the earth, the automobile, was born. In 2011, the automobile will celebrate 125 years on the road and the only place to view its’ entire 125 year history is at The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. In addition to the automobiles history, the museum also shows off the latest developments of the present and future. The latter will be exhibited in a completely redesigned room from next year: Legend 6, ‘New start – the Road to Emission-free Mobility’, which will be opening its doors to Museum visitors for the first time on January 30, 2011.
Visitors to the museum often ask the same questions- Where do we go from here? Will we all be driving on hydrogen in future? Will the combustion engine soon be a thing of the past? “In Legend 6 visitors will find answers to questions about the drive system of tomorrow”, says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. On the chronological tour through the decades, Legend 6 ‘New start – the Road to Emission-free Mobility’ will present the challenges of the present and future. “Our visitors mostly want to find out how driving pleasure and responsibility can be reconciled in a vehicle.” Different drive-system variants will be on display in the redesigned theme room – from the optimised combustion engine through electric and hybrid drive systems to the fuel cell.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum brings to life all aspects of automotive history over an area covering 16,500 square metres and nine levels. Seven Legend rooms describe the history of the brand, five Collection rooms important topics at Mercedes-Benz through the years. Many of the 160 vehicles exhibited stand for entire eras that they have shaped, recounting their own history. These include the gull-wing model from the 1950s or the Silver Arrows, not to mention the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, the first sports car with a stable passenger compartment and crumple zone. “These vehicles were symbols of innovation in their day; again and again they would herald further progress. Our visitors soon realise that the history of Mercedes-Benz is brimming with innovations and that the focus was always firmly on the future – just as it is today”, adds Michael Bock.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is open daily from Tuesday to Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Current information for visitors is available from the Classic customer center online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com
