Mercedes-Benz Museum
While you’re spending some time at the Porsche Museum, you might as well swing by the Mercedes-Benz museum, considering both are in Stuttgart. It also has a pretty modern design and is loaded with historical cars. No matter if you think the Benz Patent-Motorwagen is the first car or not, one the originals is on display and is pretty impressive to see in person.
You could get lost in the museum, because it’s 178,000 square feet of automotive bliss. Not only that, the floorplan is an open concept, so the place feels absolutely cavernous. Scattered throughout are important street and track vehicles, plus plenty of displays that will tell you more about each one. With the long and extensive history of the automaker, there’s a lot of take in.
The museum plays host to all kinds of events, including demonstrations of the suspension articulation capabilities of a Unimog, festivals and even a caravan of classics to participate in the Mille Miglia.
Petersen Automotive Museum
If you’re ever in Los Angeles, which is a mecca for car culture, check out the Petersen Automotive Museum. It’s situated on the famous Wilshire Avenue, making it easy to find. The building used to be a luxury department store, giving it a pretty formal vibe that goes well with the various exotic cars housed inside. There are also plenty of vehicles celebrities used to own, plus cars featured in different movies.
Even if the people you’re with aren’t gearheads, this is one museum loaded with cars they’ll probably find interesting.
Mille Miglia Museum
This is a great excuse to visit Italy, which is actually populated by quite a few fascinating car museums, tracks, etc. Several factors make Mille Miglia Museum stand out. First off, it’s housed in a monastery that was built in the 11th Century, so it’s kind of like going to a car temple.
When you go inside, it’s quickly apparent that the place is just loaded with exotic, vintage Italian classics. Even the most jaded show and museum connoisseur would be impressed by the selection of vehicles under one roof. One area is dedicated completely to Enzo Ferrari. Other Italian automotive icons are also honored throughout.
In case you didn’t catch it, the museum is actually named after the legendary Mille Miglia race. If you show up at the right time each spring, the race is recreated in dramatic fashion using vehicles that were all built before the year 1957.
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