Following on from Toyotec's Wolfsburg road trip thread here, I thought it was about time I shared some pics from my two visits (yes...two!) late last year and earlier this year. Call it a teaser to whet your whistle if you were interested in joining in a CGTI-arranged visit (as if you needed any persuasion, right? ) Having suddenly found myself on a 6 month work secondment to our test facility near Dusseldorf last September, I immediately resolved that a better chance to visit Wolfsburg couldn't be had! With Wolfsburg being a 4-hour 'bahn-storm away, so it was I fired up the nav on a cold and frosty October morning and set off. Now let's face it, Wolfsburg ain't a pretty place. It was built for, and around the factory after all. But finally through the typically-Teutonic drab conurbation, the sight I had waited quite a few years to see... If Wolfsburg is a goat's ass, then the Autostadt is the diamond shining in it. Literally "Car Town" in German, and built in 2000, it's VW's unapologetically self-indulgent showcase to the World. Dotted throughout the car park and open areas are glass cases holding some gems of VW history... ...and those of the near-relatives. Laid out around the central pond are the "Pavilions". Essentially showcase showrooms, there's one for each of the main VAG marques. Lamborghini's was just a big black box with theatre seating within and a dramatic presentation featuring a wall-mounted Gallardo (no pics allowed within...) Architecturally, the stand-out is Porsche's award winning sub-terranean Bond-villian-esque affair. There are two skyline dominating features, however. The stacks of the Powerhouse (Wolfsburg's self-contained power station)... ...and the now iconic "Auto Turme" ("Car Towers") The towers are an overly-elaborate, but utterly fantastic holding area for vehicles that are being collected by customers wishing to receive their car directly from the factory. Cars destined for Autostadt pickup, travel on a sinuous conveyor route direct from the build hall overhead the outside storage areas, before plunging below ground to then be placed in one of the two towers by the automatic stacking system (which you can ride on if you get there and book it early enough!). Prospective customers are given a collection time, and the system plucks the car from it's rack and transfers it underground to the Customer Centre; a vast building that's a cross between a dealership and an airport (the matrix board features customer names and collection times) The Customer Centre also features the accessory shop where you can buy every single VW branded item available from stationary to underwear (really) and every conceivable car gadget in between. 200euro for a cabin-sized suitcase was a bit steep though... Anyway, I'm sure as interesting as all that might to you, you're wanting me to just skip to the good bit...incoming...
The part of the Autostadt you'll spend most time in is undoubtedly the "Zeithaus" ("Time House") musuem. Here VW don't just blow they're own historical trumpet, but rather showcase a selection of the most iconic and influential marques, models and automotive technology from the inception of the motorcar to today and beyond. Mrs. Benz's 1899 grocery-getter... I'll let the pictures do the talking from here... And finally a special prize to the person who can name this engine configuration (except those that have been before and seen it...) Now, because I'm an impatient eejit, I did zero research and just rocked up. I wondered where all the special VW stuff was? The odd-balls, the one-offs, the motorsport icons...where were they?? Answer; not at the Autostadt... Instead they are housed in the Automuseum five minutes down the road. It's a fantastic, small, unassuming place where VW keep all the really interesting stuff. That's the stuff you really want to see, right? Well...a little patience for Part 2 coming tomorrow (later today).
**[Holding post for Part 2]** EDIT; Bloody Chrome decided to crash the page and I lost the hours work and all the pictures I put up in this second installment. Will try again tomorrow...
We've just been there too.... Whilst the autostadt is lovely, the Automuseum is fantastic! Some really rare and iconic cars in there.... but when I went there was no A59 Other than that though, I could have lived in that place. Enough to keep me occupied for days!!
Stu, your write is more reason why I think the Club needs to visit the place. Look forward to Teil Zwei!
18 cylinders is right, but it's neither an "E18" or "W18"...but is for a Bugatti... 'Tis a "Y18"...a bunch of "cobbled" together Lupo engines. Fancy another engine challenge? Bit harder this one;
Was that the 6ltr Auto Union engine Stu? I was a bit hung over in the Autostadt and a couple of bits blurred into one (especially in the design studio). Feeling all nostalgic now and the Mrs wants to visit... I'll chuck up some museum pics later- the 40th Anniversary of the Golf was quite splendid
Great thread, Stu - looking forward to more :-) Went there in 2005 and it's come on quite a bit since then, judging by your photographs. Would love to go again and maybe fit in the museum which we didn't have time to visit last time.