I posted an article a few months ago about the Private Museum of the Porsche Family that I described as the best-kept secret and the most child-friendly museum, I have ever seen (and I did see quite a few museums recently). I also have to make a confession: the pictures were somewhat out of date as they stemmed from my visit in August last year. Luckily, I could refresh my memories recently, so this article should provide an update to the original article , as there are quite some novelties.
In the main article, I enumerated all the aspects that make Fahrtraum a true paradise for families. I counted more educational and interactive elements than in Zuffenhausen (or in Sindelfingen, or even the two of them combined), and beyond education, there is a lot of sheer fun. In addition to an oldtimer-simulator cabin with realistic controls, there are half a dozen simulators with triple-screens, one even with a gyroscope, plus a Carrera race track as well as a little town with trolleys.
Apparently, the Museum managed to take this further since then, and now I also found three new simulators that were embedded into (slightly) scaled down versions of epic cars of the Museum (such as the Prince Heinrich and the Lohner Mixte). Basically, the first hour was spent in full serenity while the kids got acquainted with the new simulators (the new cabins are quite cool, but the curved 60-inch screens did help too : ) ).
If that would not be enough, there is a new airplane simulator near the stairway to the Tractor exhibition, that was also further enhanced with new explanations and additional tractors.
Nevertheless, the bright orange Allgaier with the airflow chassis continues to steal the show there. The downstairs exhibition’s welcome wagon is now replaced by a VW Bully, one of the first ever made.
I also discovered novelties in the main exhibition (compared to last year), and the staff was so kind to point me to interesting stories. I could learn more about the Kaiserwagen behind the Lohner Mixte, that was converted into an electric car (based on Ferdinand Porsche´s last pre-war model at Austro-Daimler, the type 14/28), to do away with those nasty engine noises that the Franz Joseph deplored. So basically, what Jaguar Classics is planning to introduce as of 2020, was done short after1900.
Since last year, the 356 made way on the Centre stage for a red 1922 Sasha ADS-R with documentation and a machine that emits the sound of the engine.
Sascha stands for Alexander (i.e Count Alexander of Kolowrat-Krakowsky, one of the most successful film producers of his time), who was a major shareholder in Austro-Daimler and the driving force behind the creation of the successful lightweight race car (accounting for 22 victories for the “Sascha” car in 53 races, among others at the Targa Florio). The Sascha ADS-R racing car with an 1100 cc 4-cylinder motor developed 49 hp and yet weighed only 600 kg. It was later also built with a 1500 cc, 2000 cc and a 3000 cc 6-cylinder motor. A white ADS-R is part of the permanent exhibition in Zuffenhausen, now there is another one to admire in Mattsee, but there is not much redundancy between the two Museums.
Fahrtraum is a perfect addition to the Porsche Museum, I am truly astonished about the novelties I learned in Mattsee. With a stronger focus on the work of Ferdinand Sr and on Austrian car industry, the exhibition holds its own, and is definitely a must-see for car enthusiasts looking for something beyond the trivial.
FOR AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE CAR MUSEUMS I EVER VISITED, CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE MAP:
