The Mercedes – Story of the Star exhibition pays homage to the 140-year history of the iconic Swabian brand. Autoworld managed to conjure over 50 iconic and rare Mercedes to illustrate the 140 years of automotive history, design, and innovation. From the pioneers and milestones that shaped its history, to sporting victories and the ultimate benchmarks in comfort and luxury, all the way to the most spectacular supercars, Autoworld managed to bring together the highlights from the entire world of Mercedes-Benz. The exhibition is scheduled to last until 22 February, for tickets and more info, see their website.
At the entrance, the exhibition kicks off strong with some of the greatest icons of the brand, including the very first automobile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1886 (a replica, of course), a stunning 540 K Sport Cabrio A of 1937, a Gullwing 300SL, as well as an AMG ONE, a road-legal hypercar using Formula 1 technology.
Upstairs in the gallery, the exhibition welcomes with a selection of production cars, including prewar cars and postwar icons, from SLK to S-Class.The red 1928 Mercedes 630s took centre stage and stands its ground. The Belgian built coachwork steals the show even next to the modern day hypercars.
There is also a lineup of Mercedes S-Class and SL specimens of several generations, offering an impressive overview of their evolution.
Motorsport is in the DNA of Mercedes-Benz. There is hardly any other car brand with such a diverse and consistent history in Motorsport. Grand Prix-winning open-wheelers from the early 20th century, modern Formula-1 cars, touring cars, endurance cars, IndyCar, Formula E or trucks, Mercedes accumulated a wealth of trophies that no other brand could match.
It is nearly impossible to provide a comprehensive overview of the Swabian brand’s victories. Even the Mercedes Museum skips a few cars in its exhibition when winning becomes the norm. Any brand would give its right arm to win in Formula 1, Mercedes has scored a title in nearly every decade.
The exhibition featured several exciting mementos of these victories, from the Sauber Mercedes C9 to the legendary 300 SEL 6.8 AMG “Rote Sau”, which triumphed in its class at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa. The 2014 Mercedes F1 W05, driven by Lewis Hamilton, ushered in a new era of Formula 1 dominance, while the W25 from 1934 recalled the brand’s prewar success.
The curators managed to secure several high-end supercars and concepts, including an SLR and the super-rare SLR Stirling Moss, as well as the homologation car CLK GTR.
An absolute highlight is the C111 concept car, a rolling laboratory that illustrates the brand’s boldness in research and innovation.
Here we take a rhetorical break, but we will come back with another article with our favourites.
