Posted on 05/19/2006 5:17:10 AM PDT by Atlantic Bridge
On Friday, Mercedes-Benz will open the world's largest museum dedicated to automobiles. The grand new museum will present the icons of the German automobile industry -- from the earliest cars right up to the Popemobile.
The building couldn't be more German. It's equipped with incredible technology, and yet it looks a bit beat-up somehow. It almost resembles a dented can.
On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Stuttgart to celebrate the inauguration of the city's new Mercedes Museum. The museum, located near the Mercedes-Benz factory in the Untertürkheim neighborhood, is meant to emphasize the German industrial giant's mythological grandeur. Like most major new museums, a good deal of that is conveyed through its structure.
(Excerpt) Read more at service.spiegel.de ...
:-)
Oooh! I am jealous.
Hope you all have a great time.
I might have to go to Stuttgart...
The museum looks like a giant carburator airfilter
Daddy, what's a carburator? ;^)
I loved my Benz for the firs 150K miles, then I started to have trouble with it. One thing after another. First the wipers had to be replaced, then the floor mats and then the air pressure in the spare needed to checked. I don't know if I'll ever buy another.(/s)
If they were made by Solex, it was a "pain in the ass.."
I've had several..what I really miss on my 230SL was the ability to do most of the basic mechanical work myself...with a decent set of tools and a timing light....all I needed..Now, I need a computer just to open the hood..
Well son, it's kinda like a carburettor, only spelt wrong. . . .
When I was a youngster I recieved a old Mercedes 300TD (W123) from my father. Since I am a quite skilled mechanic I managed to drive this car up to 495.000 km (I think something about 310.000 miles - but I am not sure) and sold it then for 5.000,- Deutschmarks . :-)
But you are right - the later models weren't that massive anymore. After 300.000 kilometers most of our Mercedes were toasted. Anyway in the moment we still use a 230 SLK with 250.000 km (something around 156.000 miles - but still not sure) and the car still works perfectly.
And the computer does not work. Germans are skilled in building machines but not in programming computers. Mercedes had really bad tests the recent years since their electronic stuff was not perfect.
The last ADAC (The German Automobile club) test was the first positive one since 6 or 7 years.
P.S. Personally I hate that electronic stuff.
I had the same problem with my 190 Benz. Bought it with 52,000 miles on it and now has 257,000. Still going strong. I'd consider buying another but they pretty much only come with automatic transmissions.
I hope they are going to have a display of gas vans that they used to kill Jews and other inferiors durring WWII, in the interest of historic accuracy of course.
Okay, I must get in on this one! My dad is from "Gundersheim" (I dont know if that is the right spelling) just outside of Worms. He is one of the guys who brought Mercedes Benz to America! He was with them for 42 years and retired in 1993. I beg my father to write a book or at least jot down some memories because the stories are so interesting!
The gas vans were not produced by Mercedes Benz. In fact they were SS-self-made conversions of Deutz (Klöckner-Humbold-Deutz) trucks. There is no direct connection to the German industry in this case.
Of course Mercedes Benz used slave workers in their factories, but they were -to my own knowlege- not involved directly into the Holocaust.
Car nutz ping.
the 1928-29 SSK/SSKL roadster
the 1937 W125 Grand Prix car
the racing version of the 300SL gullwing (it's the car in the back in the image you posted)
Unnngh -- don't get me started on MBZs.
Mine was nothing but trouble.
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