Mercedes-Benz treasure chambers

USPA NEWS - The Mercedes-Benz Classic collection comprises more than 1000 vehicles. No less than 160 of them can be admired at the museum in Untertürkheim. Many others are regularly showcased to the public at exhibitions and events around the globe. By far the largest part of the collection, however, is not freely accessible to the public: it is housed carefully in twelve inconspicuous commercial buildings in and around Stuttgart ““ the “Holy Halls“.

However, the company did make an exception for a special occasion: the renowned specialist journalist and author of several books, Christof Vieweg, who also had the original idea to write the first book about Mercedes-Benz´s exclusive vehicle collection, had the opportunity to inspect the cars extensively and captured his impressions in informative texts. The photos in the “Holy Halls“ were taken by photographer Igor Panitz, who is known above all for his automotive and architectural photos. The result is this mesmerising stroll through the unique treasure troves of Mercedes-Benz.

Additional studio shots of 50 selected vehicles from the collection were taken under the direction of Harry Ruckaberle in the Sindelfingen photo studio that belongs to Akka Concept GmbH. In this process, the Circulight lighting technology invented and patented by studio founder Ruckaberle was applied to good effect.

Starry nights for readers

Fans of the brand are guaranteed to find their stars shining brightly as they peruse this book. Series models up to 1945 are compiled in the introductory chapter, from the Benz Patent Motor Car, for example, the innovative Mercedes Simplex 40 PS and the striking Benz Spider through to luxury vehicles such as the 770 “Grosser Mercedes“ or the sporty but elegant variants of the Mercedes-Benz 500 K / 540 K.

The pace increases as the focus shifts to racing and record-breaking cars. The Benz “Prince Heinrich“ racing touring car, Silver Arrows from the 1930s and 1950s, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 and the “EVO II“ as well as Formula One racing cars right up to the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W09 EQ Power+: these and many other stars from 125 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsports are illustrated in great detail.

Legendary post-war models such as the majestic Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet or the Mercedes-Benz 300 “Popemobile“ are covered before the penultimate section deals with some shooting stars, i.e. prototypes and rarities. At this point, the book aims its spotlight at particularly rare or unique models ““ such as the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 150 Sports Roadster, the 300 SL “Hobel“, the 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coup铝, the SLX project, various versions of the C 111 and the S 500 Intelligent Drive.

The sparkling concluding chapter shows the exhibits of the collection out in the real world: at international classic rallies and car exhibitions. One thing is certain, on these occasions the public have the opportunity to get practically within arm´s length of these fascinating cars from the “Holy Halls“.

Information about the book

German edition: “Heilige Hallen ““ Die geheime Fahrzeugsammlung von Mercedes-Benz“, by Christof Vieweg, with photos by Igor Panitz and Harry Ruckaberle. Delius Klasing Verlag, Bielefeld, 244 pages, 207 photos and illustrations, size 26.9 x 28.9 cm, hardback, ISBN 978-3-667-11666-6, 59.00 euro (Germany), 60.70 euro (Austria).

English edition: “Holy Halls. The Secret Car Collection of Mercedes-Benz“, by Christof Vieweg, with photos by Igor Panitz and Harry Ruckaberle. Delius Klasing Verlag, Bielefeld, 244 pages, 207 photos and illustrations, size 26.9 x 28.9 cm, hardback, ISBN 978-3-667-11667-3, 59.00 euro (Germany), 60.70 euro (Austria).

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