When I started on this vacation I didn’t have any specific plans, but when Ollie reminded me that Berlin was less than an hour from the Autostadt, I simply had to stop by. For those who don’t know, the Autostadt is Volkswagen’s “Auto-town”, an automobile theme-site focused on VW-group auto brands. There are pavilions for: VW, Audi, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda, and Bentley; as well as a automotive museum and car delivery center.
The dominant architectural landmark of the Autostadt are the car storage towers. Each is 50m tall and houses up to 400 cars. Cars enter the towers via a direct delivery system from the factory, and are moved into the tower via a robotic carrier. When the new owners are ready to pick up their VW, the robot delivers the car to an underground tunnel where it is conveyed to the delivery center. The result is the ability to pick up your individualized VW with 0 miles on the odometer.
The automotive museum is one of the major attractions of the Autostadt. Containing over 100 vintage automobiles from a variety of makes, the ZeitHaus is a car lover’s dream. Not only are all landmark VWs on display, but examples of the first gas powered car, the Model-T, and other historic vehicles are on display. I discovered what might be the only Cadillac I’d ever willing own in the collection: the 1932 Cadillac V16.
I had wanted to take the “Driving Safety” course–a driving evaluation and tutorial in provided cars. Unfortunately, a scheduling mix-up meant that I missed the english language course (and couldn’t even switch to the “off-road” course). I did manage to take the VW factory tour, which was clearly the high-point of my visit (since I didn’t get to do either of the driving courses). The amazing logistical orchestration and robotic ballet that delivers VW’s to the world was a surprising and entertaining sight.
At the end of a full day of sampling the attractions at the Autostadt, I realized I should have planned at least two days to take it all in. Anyone who loves cars, and is in the region is encouraged to spend an a day or two…