A terrific day in Stuttgart

In July 1998 we took our motorcaravan for a tour of southern Germany. One key objective was to visit all the main classic MB sites in and around the city in one day. We started-off at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the centre of the Unterturkheim factory.

Full details of the exhibits can be found on the Museum website, but here are some photos of superb 1950's models on display.

	300S
	300SL
	300d once owned by Konrad Adenauer
	Original design study models for the W186

However, before visiting I knew that an early W186 (the red one from the 1997 Classic calendar) was included in the museum collection but was not on display. Having made arrangements prior to my visit I was directed to a storage facility and thrilled to be able to spend a substantial period of time with the car for the purposes of recording certain details to help me with the restoration.

Please note. In publicising the privilige extended to me by the good people of Mercedes-Benz I am critically aware that I am potentially risking the abuse of this privilige by others either unintentionally or otherwise. It was made clear to me that the facility I visitied was definitely not a museum and had I not contacted the museum beforehand nor provided proof of ownership of a classic type not displayed in the main museum, then I would not have been granted such permission. Please do not hold my visit as a mandate for all to do what we did: many people at MB inconvenienced themselves out for us on this day, and I suspect that future visits could be suspended completely if such inconvenience is a regular occurence.

In seeing this vehicle, the main objective of our day was achieved. But the day went on to be totally memorable for us all. Next we visited the MB Classic Centre in Feldbach, then dashed across the city in time to make the 14:30 tour around the Sindelfingen assembly plant. This was fantastic: no photos I'm afraid, but this has to be a must for anyone interested in modern car assembly methods.

To complete the day, we then visited the premises of Kienle Automobiltechnik GmbH in Heimerdingen. This is a superb restoration house with both facilities and a quality of work that one could only dream of. The workshop was full of 'gull-wings' and other classic MB models: one was almost blasé about them by now! On seeing the photographs of my engine restoration project, the proprietor was kind enough to offer his recognition of me as 'in the same trade', but of course on completely different scales of time and cost! But overall, they apeared to be the best at dealing with the best - it summed up the day really.

	Kienle Automobiltechnik GmbH in Heimerdingen
	Gullwings, everywhere!
	Three 600's, two 300S and a 300SL

Lastly, I must recount how this memorable day ended.

We headed north in the motorcaravan from Heimerdingen and as the evening progressed we looked for somewhere to stop for the night. As we sometimes do, we took a side road which eventually led to a crossroads in the middle of agricultural land. Seeing a farm nearby, I went to ask for permission to pull-off the road by the crossroads for the night. My sketchy German facilitated an overwhelming welcome from the old farmer who came to the door. Of course we could stay there for the night. "Did we also need water, or food?" I refused for now requesting a fill of the water tank before our departure on the following morning.

At 07:30, there was a knock at the 'van door. It was the farmer's wife who had brought a dozen fresh eggs and a bag of home-grown onions! After breakfast we then drove into the farm to fill the water tanks. Again we were met with total and overwhelming friendship. I then asked where I could find the nearest supermarket but, instead of answering, the farmer's wife then brought out further bag of tomatoes, two plates of freshly-picked blackberries for my daughters, and two pots of blackberry jam that she had made that morning! These people 'didn't know us from Adam', and yet their generosity closed what was, in many ways, a perfect day for us all and gave us memories that we will cherish for ever.

There are some very good people in this world!

Comments and queries to: Stuart Lamb