Discover the birthplace of the automobile in Stuttgart

Stuttgart is much more than the headquarters of two famous automobile brands.
This region was home to engineers and entrepreneurs whose inventions helped
transform transportation around the world.

Rather than simply taking you from one museum to another, this private tour
introduces you to the historic locations behind Mercedes-Benz,
Porsche, Daimler, Maybach and Bosch.

You choose your focus: automotive history, engineering, company history,
design, motorsport, museums, historic personalities or a combination of
different themes.

Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt

One of the most important stops on our Stuttgart automotive tour is the
Daimler Memorial in Bad Cannstatt.

In a former garden house on Taubenheimstrasse, Gottlieb Daimler and
Wilhelm Maybach developed a high-speed four-stroke engine in 1883.
The two inventors worked in great secrecy and often late into the night.
According to legend, their mysterious activities even led to suspicions
that they might be producing counterfeit money.

Depending on the length of your tour, we can explore additional locations
connected with Daimler's early experiments, including the area where he tested
his motorized carriage in 1886. Longer itineraries can also include
Gottlieb Daimler's birthplace in Schorndorf.

Robert Bosch and the technology behind the automobile

Robert Bosch is another essential figure in Stuttgart's
automotive history. In 1886, he founded his Workshop for Precision Mechanics
and Electrical Engineering in Stuttgart.

In 1897, Bosch successfully adapted magneto ignition for use in vehicle engines.
In 1902, his employee Gottlob Honold further developed the high-voltage
magneto ignition system with a spark plug. This technology significantly
improved the reliable ignition of increasingly powerful engines.

If you are interested, we can also explore Robert Bosch as an entrepreneur
and personality, including his social ideas and the story behind his
contemporary nickname, the “Red Bosch”.

Why is Mercedes called Mercedes?

One of the world's most famous automotive names has a remarkable story.
Businessman and automobile enthusiast Emil Jellinek sold
Daimler cars on the French Riviera and used the name of his daughter,
Mercédès, in motorsport.

Jellinek also pushed for the development of a powerful, modern automobile.
Designed by Wilhelm Maybach, the Mercedes 35 hp of 1901
established new standards and helped make the Mercedes name famous worldwide.

Mercedes-Benz Museum – optional visit during your private tour

A visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart can be
incorporated into your private automotive tour.

I worked at the museum as a guide for several years. This experience allows me
to provide historical context, background information and personal anecdotes
before and around your museum visit.

Guided services inside the museum are subject to the museum's current rules
and regulations.

Ferdinand Porsche and Porsche history in Stuttgart

Another important part of our tour focuses on Ferdinand Porsche.
We can pass his former home on Feuerbacher Heide, where important development
work connected with his Stuttgart engineering office took place in the garages
of the villa, including work associated with the later Volkswagen.

Your tour can then continue to the Porsche Museum in
Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Here, the story goes beyond the cars themselves:
we explore the people, engineering ideas and decisions behind the Porsche brand.

Can you visit the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums in one day?

Yes. Both museums can be combined in a full-day Stuttgart automotive tour.
However, if you would like to explore both museums in depth and also visit
historic locations, additional time is recommended.

A two-day itinerary provides a more relaxed experience and allows us to combine
both museums with the most important automotive heritage sites in Stuttgart
and the surrounding area.

Bertha Benz and the world's first long-distance automobile journey

The story of the automobile extends beyond Stuttgart.
Carl and Bertha Benz are an essential part of this history.

In 1888, Bertha Benz travelled with her two sons from Mannheim to Pforzheim,
demonstrating the practical potential of the automobile on a long-distance journey.

Along the way, she solved technical problems with remarkable ingenuity.
A hairpin helped clear a blocked fuel line, while a garter was used to insulate
a damaged wire. In Wiesloch, she purchased ligroin from a pharmacy to use as fuel.
The pharmacy is therefore often described as the world's first filling station.

For automotive enthusiasts, we can create an additional day tour to
Mannheim, Ladenburg, Wiesloch and Pforzheim.
A visit to the Technik Museum Sinsheim can also be incorporated.

Your customized private automotive tour of Stuttgart

This is not a standardized sightseeing tour with a fixed itinerary.
Your private tour can be customized according to your interests and available time.

Possible themes include:

• Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach
• Mercedes-Benz and the origins of the Mercedes name
• Robert Bosch and automotive ignition technology
• Ferdinand Porsche and Porsche history in Stuttgart
• Mercedes-Benz Museum
• Porsche Museum
• Automotive design and engineering
• Motorsport and company history
• Historic automotive sites in Stuttgart and Bad Cannstatt
• Bertha Benz and the first long-distance automobile journey

Choose the right Stuttgart automotive tour

Half-day tour

Ideal for selected historic locations in Stuttgart and Bad Cannstatt.
A half-day is generally too short to combine several historic sites with
an extensive museum visit.

Full-day tour

Combine historic automotive locations with an extensive visit to one museum,
or visit both the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums with a more compact program.

Two-day automotive tour

Ideal for true automotive enthusiasts: discover Mercedes-Benz and Porsche,
both museums and important historic sites in and around Stuttgart.

Three days and extended tours

Add destinations such as Schorndorf, Albeck, Mannheim, Ladenburg, Wiesloch,
Pforzheim or the Technik Museum Sinsheim.

Book your private Stuttgart automotive tour

Whether your passion is Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Daimler, Maybach, Bosch or
the fascinating story of the invention of the automobile, we can create
an itinerary tailored to your interests and available time.

Request your private automotive tour of Stuttgart.
We will coordinate the itinerary, duration, museum visits and possible
extensions individually.

Request Your Private Automotive Tour