antique cars — CAR MUSEUMS — The Bad Blonde

Closed my eyes on a train in Zurich, Switzerland and awoke to Porsche paradise in Stuttgart, Germany. The famed Porsche Museum is high on every car enthusiasts list and for good reason. The Porsche Museum in immediately impressive architecturally. A reflective overhang of mirrored glass, leaves the traveler walking below in a trance like tunnel. And then the real excitement begins once you’ve passed the threshold and entered into an exquisitely designed curation of Porsche’s past, present, and future.

The entrance is a meager 8 euros and comes with free audio guide which I always greatly appreciate!Once inside, with minimalist design and white from wall to wall, the entrance is flanked with a large escalator and stairs take you to beginning of the chronological exhibits.

The below floor maintains a very well stocked café. I enjoyed an energy sparking espresso and smoked salmon sandwich. The limited seating area of the café allow peaks into one of what I would imagine many mechanic areas of the Porsche complex. I consumed the snack and coffee quickly, then made my way to the beginning of my Porsche journey.

48991493_10156313177110735_8481323884220514304_n (1).jpg

Your eyes can cast a sweeping view of the entire museum while the massively long escalator transports you.

I was fortunate to be visiting during the grand 70th celebration of the 1948 Porsche 356. The first feat of engineering and style that would put Porsche on the map.

Over 80 vehicles and many small exhibits are on display, including such iconic vehicles such as the 356, 550, 911, 917, and 959. Many of the exhibits earmark some Ferdinand Porsche’s 20th century mechanical achievements.

Celebration of the Porsche 356

70 years of Porsche excellence

Porsche holds a special place in my little heart. At 14 years old, I began a forever journey that would greatly influence my humor, life outlook, and over all toughness of character. I began a car restoration. I undertook the restoration of a beat up, Bondo crusted, and yet beautiful 1976 Porsche 912e. And I will be forever grateful for every drop of blood, sweat, tears, and cut knuckle that followed.

An interesting piece of history was when Porsche decided to design a tractor. Due to WWII specifications and licensing, not all manufactures were able to produce what they wished so Porsche sold it’s tractor design to a manufacture licensed to create tractors.

Porsche’s tractor

125,000 produced in total

A cold wind stings my cheeks and specks of snow start departing from the sky, and fall onto this hot-blooded, sunshine addicted, and summer lovin’ Texan. Not today, Winter! Not the freeze, the cold, the snow, can change my mood!

I am off to a little piece of sunshine in Stuttgart Germany. I am heading to the Mercedes Benz Museum.

Why I greatly enjoyed the Mercedes Benz museum was that it not only offered the latest of the Mercedes super vehicles, but it also allowed visitors to see some of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler’s earlier inventions.

“My first customer was a lunatic. My second had a death wish. ”

— Karlz Benz

Give yourself three hours at the very least to absorb this museum. It’s a wonderfully designed building that winds you floor to floor through Mercedes historical past, innovative present, and groundbreaking future. It gives you a path through the Mercedes Benz’s ‘Seven Legends’ aka floors of historical innovations in engineering and design.

It is said, and evident in their different creations, that Daimler had a thirst for all inventions to aid mankind but Benz had a clear focus on manufacturing automobiles. On display they have Daimler’s Grandfather Clock which is considered the world's first small high-speed internal combustion engine to run on gasoline. The engine was given its nickname because it resembled a grandfather clock.

One of the most stylistic and notable cars of its time

Further through the gallery you will find the treasured jewel of Mercedes Benz. The most notable, recognizable, and famed of the Mercedes Benz models. In all it’s glory, in a display of perfectly aligned spotlights, you will find yourself entranced with the Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Showcased in their ‘Post-war Miracle – Form and Diversity’ area, the cars are magnificent sight and draw crowds of museum attendees. Shoving their way to get a better glimpse, a closer photo, a neater angle, of the prized automobile.

Take a walk through the Mercedes Benz past and Future

On the last floor of my journey, and one of my favorite areas, is the ‘Silver Arrows – Races & Records.’ An area showcasing the Mercedes Benz racing feats, legends, and wins. It’s a breathtaking design, with cars lined diagonally and sloped fashion towards the building’s massive concrete wall. Each sporadically “starting” their engines which allows the spectators to hear the sounds of the motor and further experience the display.