Mercedes-Benz & Bugatti
A Luxury Tour featuring European Cars and the German Grand Prix with Smithsonian Journeys
July 15 – 25, 2012
Study Leader: Jonathan Stein
Click here to learn more about this journey and book your space today – or call 877-338-8687
OVERVIEW
Start your engines and join other car enthusiasts to explore Vorsprung durch technik (advancement through technology) as well as the beauty and design of famous German cars and the renowned Bugatti. Our automotive historian provides insight into the best of auto design and engineering. Trace the history of German autos from Karl Benz’ first car to the Porsche sport cars of today.
Enjoy in-depth curator-led tours to BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche museums and tours of modern production lines. Spend time in Stuttgart—Germany’s “auto city” where Gottlieb Daimler and Otto Benz independently built their workshops in the 19th century. Although the two never met, their companies combined in the 1920s to form Daimler-Benz. Today, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is the Guggenheim of car museums, featuring beautifully restored early racing cars, while the factory is one of the most modern automobile facilities in the world. Travel to nearby France to admire the amazing Musée National de l’Automobile, home to the world’s largest Bugatti collection, and to Molsheim, Bugatti’s spiritual and modern home. A highlight for any car enthusiast will be watching the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
ITINERARY
July 15-16 — U.S. , Munich
Depart the U.S. for Germany. Upon arrival in Munich transfer to the centrally located Eurostar Grand Hotel for the first of three nights. In the evening, gather for a welcome reception and dinner. (R,D)
July 17 — Munich
Begin your exploration of German engineering and technology at the famous Deutsches Museum. The impressive automotive collection includes the precious original Benz tricycle of 1886. Carl Benz donated it to the museum only 20 years after its first drive. The museum houses 40 passenger cars, each one representing an important step in the evolution of automobiles until 1950. (B)
July 18 — Munich and BMW
Enjoy an exclusive visit to the Bavarian Motor Work’s factory. BMW began as an aircraft manufacturer during the World War I, but soon after turned to motorcycle and then automobile manufacturing. The production of their distinctive automobiles resumed after World War II. After touring the factory, visit the BMW Museum, which houses a collection of early BMW motorcycles and cars. Enjoy a private viewing of BMW vintage cars at the BMW Group Classic and see the company’s own restoration facilities. (B)
July 19 — Ingolstadt and Audi, Stuttgart
Take the autobahn north to Ingolstadt to discover the true meaning behind Audi’s tagline vorsprung durch tecknik (advancement through technology). Today’s visits include a guided tour through the Audi Mobile Museum and an exclusive tour through the factory. Continue to Stuttgart, Germany’s “auto city.” Check into the stylish Arcotel Camino Hotel in Stuttgart for three nights and enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. (B,D)
July 20 — Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz
It was in Stuttgart in the 19th-century where both Gottlieb Daimler and Otto Benz independently built their workshops. An irony of automotive history is that the two never met yet their companies combined in the 1920s to form Daimler-Benz. Begin with a visit to the impressive and recently opened Mercedes Museum in nearby Unterturkheim. A curator-led tour includes the world’s oldest practical car, Karl Benz’s 1886 Motorenwagen and Nicolaus Otto’s gasoline engine that made it possible. Each floor of the museum features beautifully restored early racing cars, classic limousines, and great Mercedes models. This afternoon take a tour of the Mercedes factory, one of the most modern in the world. Travel to nearby Fellbach to visit the Mercedes Classic Car Center where vintage Daimler-Benz cars are lovingly restored. Your evening is at leisure with dinner on your own. (B)
July 21 — Stuttgart and Porsche
Drive to the nearby Porsche plant where you will follow Ferdinand Porsche’s impact on automotive design. Not only did he work for Mercedes and influence their pre war design, he also created the “Peoples Car” – the pre-war Volkswagen. After the war he and his son Ferry launched the famous Porsche Company. From the early 356 to the classic 911, the name Porsche has signified fast racing and sport cars. Visit the Porsche museum. From the atrium lobby, ascend the fast moving escalator affectionately known as “a stairway to heaven” for Porsche enthusiasts and arrive in front of an aluminium-body Type 64 racecar, considered the ancestor of all Porsches. Visit the Kienle Automobiltechnik – one of the world’s finest independent Mercedes-Benz restoration and sales facilities. The evening is at leisure with dinner on your own. (B)
July 22 — Hockenheim
Spend the day at the world famous Hockenheimring, home to the German Grand Prix in even years. From your excellent seats in the grandstand watch the world’s best Formula 1 teams and top drivers race for the win. Drive over the border into France this afternoon and check into Hotel Regent Contades in the center of Strasbourg. (B,D)
July 23 — Mulhouse, Sochaux, and Peugeot
Spend the day in Mulhouse discovering the magnificent car collection at the Musée National de l’Automobile. The museum houses the largest and finest assembly of Bugattis and other French cars. Learn the story of brothers Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, who obsessively tried to corner the market on Bugattis at the expense of their once flourishing textile empire. Conclude the day at the Peugeot Adventure Museum in Sochaux. Peugeot has been gone from the United States for 20 years, but it is still a force in the European market and at Le Mans with its brutally fast diesels. More importantly, it has a long history—dating back to 1810—and built its first automobile in 1891. Billed as “More than a museum, an adventure,” the Peugeot Museum of Adventure at Sochaux details the company’s rich heritage with displays of its earliest cars as well as significant production and rallying machines. (B)
July 24 — Molsheim and Bugatti, Zurich
Visit the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim, where brilliant automaker Ettore Bugatti crafted his rolling masterworks in the 1920s and 1930s. Today Audi builds its astonishing all-wheel-drive Bugatti Veyron supercars. Then drive over the border into Switzerland to enjoy a farewell dinner and final night at the Hotel Continental in Zurich. (B,L)
July 25 — Zurich and U.S.
Transfer to Zurich airport for return flights to the U.S. (B)
Click here to learn more about this journey and book your space today – or call 877-338-8687
