Any HAMBers in Stuttgart Germany?

I'll be in Stuttgart the week of Nov 10 and thought that I'd hook up with any HAMBers that happened to be in that part of the world. Never been there before but I look forward to an interesting trip...

 

BTTT for ya, surley there's one!

 

I asked this in January 2002 and didn't get any responses, but, if you are vintage car and hot rod oriented, I can give you a few tips about Stutgart.

First, no matter how rabid a Porsche fan you are, skip the Porsche museum. They display 12 cars from their collection at any given time. The displays are non-existant, the historical information is a short summary of what is available in most Porsche books, and at least a third of the museum is devoted to the gift shop!

DO - DO - DO go see the Mercedes museum! It's incredable! You board a Mercedes bus outside the factory grounds, p*** through tight security as you drive through the factory, and take a short walk past armed guards as you enter the museum. The building is an incredible modern display room. Mercedes displays about 150 cars that represent every period of their history. The racing history, particularly the '50s is represented very well. The body from the '30s attempt on the land speed record is hanging on a wall. The displays are to the point, but additional information is available from the many employees.

Go to the major shopping platz that is just off the train station. I visited 13 different museums and saw two outdoor Calder sculptures. Book stores, shoe stores, and so-so restraunts abound, but the two high end lighting stores and the Rosenthal store made the shopping more bearable.

Visit the vending machine that sells "Smart Cars". YES you can purchase a real car with your credit card from a vending machine! You'll see a huge number of the tiny Smart Cars in Stutgart. When I was there they were just starting to be customized. I'd expect to see quite a few indivudualized cars.

I was there for 10 days at a giant car show in January. The only "hot rod" I saw was a Porsche 928 that was painted flat black with spray can flames.

If you can manage a trip out of town, go to the museum of transportation technology. They are huge! Planes, cars, trucks, motorcycles and more motorcycles. This place re-enforces the German penchant for collecting vintage and vetran automobiles.

 

If you can, visit the Auto & Technik Musum in Sinsheim too (about one hour drive from Stuttgart). About 300 cars, 200 motorcycles, 70 planes, as well as a lot of World War II stuff. One of the best Museums in Germany!

For interseting car magzines, search for "Chrome & Flammen" and " Street Magazine ". (notice: the black Cad on the cover belongs to Germany´s only member of Customs of Sweden . The car is a former Swedish custom, built in the 80´s, but recently restored and refined in Germany)

 

I live 6 hours north of Stuttgart.
Not too many car related things going on here...
Michael

 

Thanks for the good info, I'm not sure how much time I will have or if I will have a car but I understand that the train systems are vey good in Europe. I was in Tokyo/Yokohama/Yokuska Japan last month and rode the trains virtually anywhere I needed to go. The Mercedes and the Auto & Technik museums sound like a "don't miss" place to visit. I'll take the camera again and post some pics when I get back, maybe there's a few rods or sleds prowling the streets there....

 

I'll concurr the mercedes museum, very good.
havn't tried the others.
I'd be extremely surprised if you see a rod prowling the sidestreets.
Mart.

 

I live about 200 miles in the east of Stuttgart and about 50 miles east of Munich. The Technik Museum in Sinsheim is a must , and so is the "Deutsche Museum" in Munich where lots for old planes and cars are exposed. Be sure to have at least one day for each of those museums because there´re plenty of interesting things to see. I´ve been to Stuttgart several times and I´ve never seen any Rods or Kustoms there. Only Mercedes built ****piles and some smarts.If you would like to contact some german rodders and car guys just post a message on the www.oith.de message board which is a kind of a tiny HAMB. Maybe you´ll have to wait a while for response , there ain´t as many traditional car guys in Germany as in the USA. But I´m sure you´ll have a warm welcome.If you need any information I´ll try to help you, just call 0049-171-6810463.
And bring some warm clothing with you, it´s a pretty cold fall this year