A New Breed of Car Museum Comes to Europe

Daimler has had a museum of some kind or another for decades, but the new one warrants a special visit to Stuttgart. The concrete and glass building, which opened in 2006, is shaped inside like a double helix.

Admission costs €8, with children 14 and under free. While Mercedes cars dominate, the exhibits offers a fascinating look at the history of the motor vehicle.

Visitors begin the tour by taking an elevator up through a vast atrium to the top floor, exiting to the sounds of clopping horse hoofs. This introduction sets the stage for the invention of the automobile.

Along the ride through the decades of innovation and progress, there's a display of wonderful racing cars dating from the Silver Arrows of the 1930s right up to modern-day Formula One racers. Glass display cases contain drivers' uniforms from the old white coveralls and leather helmet days to the modern high-tech outfits.

A Fascination of Technology area provides a look at the daily lives of Mercedes engineers and designers. The Mercedes-Benz Center Stuttgart is adjacent, and it features the entire Mercedes line-up. Of course there is a souvenir shop, as well as several restaurants. An amphitheater sits between the two buildings.

Next in the starting gate is Porsche's effort. Also located in Stuttgart, it is a white trapezoidal building designed by Viennese architects Delugan Meill that is scheduled to open in December. Exhibits will include some cars and models never before seen by the public. Porsche has been producing sports and racing cars since 1948, so expect a fast ride.