offers not only an extensive collection of classic vehicles and modern racers, but also a realistic race simulator and a multimedia show in a separate cinema. The largest and also one of the most important collections of sports cars in the world is in the Automuseum Rosso-Bianco near Aschaffenburg (www.rosso-bianco.de): the vehicles exhibited come from over 50 manufacturers in all.

NOT JUST FOR THE PURISTS

The Dortmund Automobile Museum Dort- mund (www.oldiemuseum.de) is particularly proud of its collection of celebrity-owned vehicles, including the Jaguar MK V B of oil magnate Rockefeller and the Jaguar MK I of Heinz Rühmann, the German film star. More than 200 veteran and vintage cars can be admired in the museum of Fritz B. Busch, housing one of the biggest private collections (www.automuseum-busch.de). Among its prized exhibits is the original Cadillac of Hans Albers, another well-known German film star.

A project that’s probably unique in Germa- ny was implemented in May of this year in Berlin. In Moabit, in what was Europe’s big-

gest streetcar depot 100 years ago, is the “Meilenwerk” – a mecca for all lovers of classic cars (www.meilenwerk.de). They’ll find everything they need to make them happy on an area 16,000 square meters in size: low-cost parking spaces, workshops for restoration, maintenance, upholstery work and electro- nics, dealing and rental of vintage and veteran cars, technical inspection service, shops for accessories, a bookshop for car literature, club/conference rooms, special event areas and restaurant/bar. To ensure that not only the owners but also visitors are lured into the hall, the initiators have designed the “Forum for Driving Culture” to be as transparent as possible, the aim being to make it a center for experience. The 90 parking spaces therefore comprise glass boxes that permit study from every angle. Unlike in a museum, visitors do not pay an entry fee here. The same applies for the workshops too: the restoration work by the specialists can be watched closely through large windows. This makes the “Meilenwerk” almost like a township for classic cars – not just for the purists.

Michael Drosten

A PLETHORA OF

PLATES

There is even a museum dedicated to license plates. The international museum for license plates, traffic and registration history (www.num- mernschildmuseum.de) shows the history and the development of license plates. In addition to historic license plates and documents from Germany, from 1890 to the present day, license plates from more than 170 other countries and territories are on display. Incidentally: since 1997, the fans of classic cars have enjoyed tax privileges if they choose historic license plates. A license plate of this type requires that the car is at least 30 years old and that the vehicle is used first and foremost for the preservation of our engineering heritage. A prior inspection by the TÜV or Dekra inspection organizations is necessary.

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