In the beginning was… the Schlumpf family
Since 1935, with the purchase of their first company, the Schlumpf brothers, Hans and Fritz, invest in the textile industry in Mulhouse. But it is between 1961 and 1963 that Fritz begins to buy, in secret, many old cars…
Two years later, the collection growing day by day, the idea of making a museum germinates in the head of Fritz Schlumpf. He then refurbished one of his factories to make a huge exhibition room of 17,000 m².
But the crisis in the Schlumpf factory in 1976 thwarted this project: prosecuted, the two brothers fled to Basel. The “Schlumpf affair” will last until 1979, then the collection will be put up for sale the following year.
In 1982, bought by the association of the National Automobile Museum, the museum opens its doors. It will be renovated and modernized in 2000.
The Automobile Museum: not to be missed!
The museum’s monumental entrance will not leave you indifferent. In front of you, an imposing door made of wood, glass and steel, is dressed by cars suspended several meters high. The wow effect is immediate!
As you enter the museum, the wall of images accompanies you for an almost instantaneous immersion in the heart of automotive passion.
Then, the first space of the museum tells the automotive adventure, from the “ancestors” of the car to the modern versions. A history that is declined in 243 iconic models, all impeccably aligned.
As for the two spaces “racing” and “dream cars”, they gather exceptional car models, whose gleaming chrome and curves will dazzle you!
Finally, make way for the museum’s stars, the iconic and rare Bugatti Royale without forgetting the Bugatti Veyron with its breathtaking speed record!