Automotive milestones in Wolfsburg

Zeithaus is arguably the main attraction of the massive Autostadt site. In one hand, it is the largest building of the compound with permanent exhibitions of world-class quality. It was also my personal favourite, being the closest thing to a traditional car museum. While Autostadt is an automotive expo of the world’s largest carmaker, Zeithaus goes beyond the VW conglomerate.

Its exhibitions showcase the legends of automotive history from all around the world. The exhibits include defunct brands of the late Auto Union but also design icons not affiliated to the VW Group in any way.

In 2018, the Zeithaus building featured two permanent exhibitions, and from their website, it seems that they are still on. To ensure a bit of variety for returning visitors, the corner by the entrance rotates smaller temporary exhibitions.

The two permanent exhibitions occupy the left and the right side of the building on three floors. As the two sides are interconnected, the two shows can be visited in parallel or one after another.

The right half keeps the Bezieheungskisten exhibition, focusing on the technological evolution of the automobile, while design icons exhibition on the opposite side pays homage to legendary designers.

The designation Bezeihungskisten needs some explanation, as the official English translation “Related rides” does not shed any more lights on that. The exhibition showcases 48 vehicles presented in 21 clusters according to their interrelationships, such as successive car generations, same designer or sharing common purpose and features.

The Related Rides exhibition in the ZeitHaus focuses on these relationships. Some of the connections are immediately obvious, others take time to come after, even when looking at the overview chart.

The first podium was dedicated to the beginning of the automobile.  This selection included a few pre WW I cars, like the Benz Patent-Motorwagen the Laurin & Klement Type A and the Ford Model T.

The next podium was titled Marriage in Metal, and keeps the Porsche Type 60 (#3803) and the Volkswagen Beetle “Última Edición” (No. 21,529,464), the oldest Beetle – and the youngest.

Although the silhouette and technology remained mostly unchanged, a period of 65 years separates chassis numbers 3803 and B84M905162. Number 3803 is one of the Volkswagen (Type 60) pre-series cars designed by Ferdinand Porsche and introduced in 1938. This car is also the oldest surviving Beetle. Beetle number B84M905162 rolled off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico on 30 July 2003 as the last car in the final edition that marked the history of 21,529,464 vehicles produced.

The next trio is connected by their joint Heritage, and include early Volkswagen models: the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter, a Type 3 (1500) wagon and a Type 4 (411).

The top floor concludes with the duo of the “Competitive Companions” from Volkswagen’s motorsport division: a Volkswagen Formula Super Vee and a Volkswagen Scirocco Group 2.

The next floor opens with two mid-size luxury sport sedans, the Borgward Isabella and the BMW 1500 “New Class” under the motto Elective Affinities.

The pairing highlights the technological relationship that BMW accessed following the bankruptcy of Borgward in 1961, with a slight kick into the Bavarian competitor.

The next pairing consists of the Austin Mini and the Autobianchi A112. This duo illustrates the similarities and the improvements that the Italians introduced with a variable rear seat and a large hatchback, larger 13-inch wheels, and a more powerful engine.

The next podium honours openness with two niche-market Golf versions: the Golf I Cabriolet and Volkswagen Golf II Country. While the Cabrio became a standing success, the Country version left with a whimper, a true sign that it was far ahead of its time.

The next duo showcased an early example of a multi-brand corporation with two GM cars from the 30s, the excessive Cadillac V16 and the Chevrolet Capitol.

The pairing aimed to illustrate the early implementation of a vertically integrated multi-brand corporation, as GM became the world’s largest automotive manufacturer in the 1920s. As a brand appealing to the masses, Chevrolet stood for rustic, simply-designed cars that were robust and could be repaired by the local blacksmith if necessary.

While Buick and Oldsmobile served the American middle class, the Cadillac was reserved for members of the upper class who could afford luxury cars with state-of-the-art engine technology.

The floor concluded with the adventure thematic showcasing the EMPI IMP Dune Buggy and the Volkswagen 181. The two lifestyle cars had very different origins, one was developed in the 1960s for use by the German army, the other was a do-it-yourself kit car.

The third floor opens up with a pairing of a car and a motorcycle with the same motorcycle engine: the DKW Super Sport 600 and the DKW F1. The idea was to build an efficient vehicle that costs no more than a full-size motorcycle with a sidecar. The car became a financial success, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that it looks more sturdy than a Tata Nano, despite some 100 years difference.

The next grouping presents an essential evolution of drivetrain from back to front, with two front-wheel-drive pioneers, the Alvis FA and the Cord 812 S/C.

The following assemble is dedicated to the history of Turbo covering a Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder a Saab 99 Turbo and the Porsche 911 Turbo.

General Motors is widely credited as the first automaker to use turbochargers in passenger cars in the Chevrolet Corvair but discontinued the project after a few years.

Porsche introduced a high-performance engine in its 911 Turbo and Saab pioneered a downsized engine in the 99 Turbo.

The turbos are accompanied by a duo of VWs under the motto “Opposites Attract”, pairing a Volkswagen Golf Diesel and a Volkswagen Golf with a 650BHP W12 engine. The latter car was a one-off, in case you were wondering why you missed that when browsing through the otherwise fairly complete pricelist of te Golf …

The last stage illustrated the evolution of materials with an ironic pairing: the first generation of the Chevrolet Corvette and the Trabant 601 S. The Chevrolet Corvette and the Trabant are among the first series-production cars with bodywork made from synthetic material.

Nevertheless, the idea to use these innovative materials was based on very different motives. In East-Germany, the lack of suitable sheet metal resulted in the use of cotton-reinforced panels, nothing like the US abundant in resources gong for the material of the future.

The next floor kicks off with one of the most influential designers in the history of the Volkswagen brand.

Giorgetto Giugiaro is one of the greatest designers of all time in my book. Initially, he had worked for legendary Italian designers Bertone and Ghia before he founded his own studio, Italdesign, in 1968. His legacy is honoured by an Alfasud, Italdesign’s first series-production model and the DeLorean DMC-12.

Next up, two cars refined by German coachbuilder Hebmüller, a Volkswagen Hebmüller Beetle and a Borgward Hebmüller Hansa 1500.

The centre of the floor is occupied by tree aerodynamic icons, the groundbreaking Tatra 87 the futuristic NSU Ro 80 and the Volkswagen XL1.

The Tatra leads to the Lambo section with a Lamborghini 350 GT and a Lamborghini Diablo GT.

The 350 GT is the first sports car built by Lamborghini, and the Diablo GT that was the first Lamborghini manufactured under VW Group (legally speaking Audi) leadership.

In its initial version, the Diablo was also the last model developed before the VW group takeover). For a refreshed, I recommend a revisit the report on the Lambo Museum.

The exhibition concludes with two innovative sports cars from the 60s, a Lotus Elite and a rare Matra Djet.

The two automotive brands introduced racing technology to the streets with sports cars designed for everyday driving. In 1957, the Lotus Elite was the first car based on an all-plastic monocoque, while Matra triggered a mid-engine trend in 1962 as the first mid-engine sports car designed for road use.

The exhibition takes over an hour to thoroughly examine the stories behind the strange pairings of cars. What made focusing more difficult was the exhibition on the other side of the building that featured designer icons and their masterpieces.

For an overview on the Autostadt, have look at the intro:

For an overview of the museums I ever visited, check out the interactive map: