Automobile Tour Stuttgart – The Birth of the Automobile
Experience the roots of mobility! This exclusive tour is tailored for technology enthusiasts who want to experience the pioneering spirit of the automobile up close. The focus is on the year 1886 – the birth year of the modern automobile – and the three great names: Gottlieb Daimler, Carl Benz, and Robert Bosch. Expandable into a multi-day journey of discovery depending on customer preferences.
Basic Tour – Stuttgart & Surroundings
Optional starting point: Daimler’s birth house in Schorndorf (approx. 28 km / 40 min). A small museum with an interactive exhibition – ideal for understanding Daimler’s childhood and first ideas.
Details About the Automobile Tour Stuttgart
Stop 1: Cannstatt – Daimler's Garden House
Site of the first successful trial of the compact combustion engine (“Standuhr”)
• Who was Emil Jellinek – and how did the name Mercedes originate?
• First drive with a motorized vehicle in Cannstatt
• Anecdote: A neighbor thought the devil was in the garden – due to the loud rattling (and an idea involving “counterfeit money”…)
Stop 2: Robert Bosch – The Spark Ignites
• The hot-tube ignition was far from user-friendly – Jellinek pushed for a better solution.
• Bosch developed the magneto and later the spark plug – the foundation for reliable engine starting.
• Visit the Bosch grounds or the first workshop at Rotebühlstraße 77.
Extended Tour Options – Following the Pioneers
Option: Mannheim & Ladenburg – Carl Benz
• Workshop visit in Mannheim and Dr. Carl Benz Car Museum in Ladenburg
• Patent motorcar and Bertha Benz as the first “long-distance driver” (Mannheim–Pforzheim 1888)
Option: The Bertha Benz Route
• Historic route: Mannheim – Ladenburg – Wiesloch – Pforzheim
• Stop in Wiesloch: World’s first gas station (pharmacy)
• Storytelling about breakdowns, improvisation, and Bertha’s courage
Option: Robert Bosch’s birthplace in Albeck
• Symbolic site with memorial stone, can be combined with a visit to Ulm
Option: Carl Benz’s birthplace in Karlsruhe-Durlach
• Memorial site, ideal as part of a 2-day tour
Other Highlights
- Motorworld Region Stuttgart & V8 Hotel Superior Böblingen
- Hockenheimring: Self-driving or ride-along in a race car
Character of the Tour
• Modular and flexible
• Suitable for individual guests, technical groups, international visitors, and companies
• Historically sound, with anecdotes and vivid storytelling