Visit to the Mulhouse National Automobile Museum

My summary

Museum history

The museum is intimately linked to the history of the Schlumpf brothers, two Swiss industrialists who developed a passion for automobiles, particularly luxury and collector cars. It was in the 1960s that Fritz Schlumpf began quietly assembling an incredible collection of cars. The cars were stored in a former woolen mill in Mulhouse, converted into a warehouse for his collection… Incredible, isn’t it?

After the bankruptcy of the Schlumpf industrial empire in the 1970s, the collection was discovered, provoking a scandal.

Fortunately, this collection was preserved and opened to the public in 1982 as the Musée Schlumpf, before becoming the Cité de l’Automobile and then the Musée National de l’Automobile.

The world’s largest automobile museum!

The National Automobile Museum boasts an exceptional collection of over 400 cars from different eras, making it one of the largest automobile collections in the world. Quite simply, there are cars as far as the eye can see!

In particular, it houses an impressive collection of luxury and sports cars from historic marques such as Bugatti, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz and Panhard. Here are a few highlights from the collection:

• Historic vehicles: the oldest cars date back to the end of the 19ᵉ century, like the first De Dion-Boutons, bearing witness to the beginnings of the automotive industry.
• Bugatti: the museum owns some 30 Bugatti models, including the legendary Bugatti Type 41 Royale, one of the rarest and most expensive cars ever produced. Only six were ever built, and the museum is exhibiting two of them.
• Racing and prestige cars: you can admire Formula 1 cars, racing cars and luxury cars from the early 20ᵉ century right up to the present day.

Not being an enthusiast, I didn’t look at all the cars in detail, but I did enjoy the discovery and found the audio guide very interesting.

Different visit areas

The museum is designed to be a true immersion in the history of the automobile. It features several thematic areas:

• A chronological tour of the evolution of the automobile from its very beginnings, through the different ages of the automobile (the golden age of the 1920s, the innovations of the 1950s, etc.).
• The racing area, dedicated to competition cars, features cars that have left their mark on the history of motor sports.
• The autodrome, where classic car demonstrations and events such as track races are regularly organized.
• The temporary exhibition space, which regularly hosts themed exhibitions.

Fun activities

A few fun activities are offered at regular intervals throughout the day. For example, you can start a vintage car with a hand crank (not easy!), or experiment with rolling over in a car (ouch!).

Virtual reality experiences are also on offer: for example, you can change the wheels on a Formula 1 car or drive a Bugatti Royale, no less 😉

For an additional fee, you can also book a slot with My Classic Automobile to drive a classic car yourself on the museum track. Great fun for enthusiasts!