News:

www.W116.org - By the people, for the people!

Main Menu

Mercedes museum Stuttgart - historical mess.

Started by floyd111, 17 September 2020, 02:52 AM

floyd111

In the past I have touched upon MB's confusing representation of their own history, even when it comes to their own logotype stories.
In the Stuttgart Museum they have reserved a long cupboard, called "cupboard of names" (Vitrine der Namen), placed in the "gallery of names", one of their museum sections. (galleries)
Not only is it such an utterly boring display, that millions of visitors have decided to not take photos of that 30 feet long show case, -and/or post them online-, but MB themselves apparently didn't give a damn. They gave the whole job to a berlin interior decorating company. They almost literally sent them a pallet of random MB-stuff with random stars of whatever origin, and asked that berlin company to historically portray the different items that Daimler AG printed their stars on over the ages. The history of their most iconic logotype.
Now, if you are hyper-motivated, you might find a single unclear pic of that showcase on the net.
As a mad collector, I am partially able to tell what's in that cabinet, even though there are but 6 pixels per item available.
The items that ARE well visible are the large emaille MB star- bullboards that were used since 1926. At least, that's what they -apparently- claim by hanging those in that cupboard.
It has frustrated me for years that -very visible- there are MB logo/stars with a laurel wraith that have sometimes 3+3 leaves, and sometimes 4+4 leaves.
The same goes for the zillion iron, emaille and plastic MB signs that are sold as "vintage MB shields' on ebay, Etsy and whatnot. often for top dollar.
Now, I have always been convinced that there never was an era where MB used a logo with only 3+3 laurels. I have been checking for years, both my own collection, as well as countless times online.
it simply never happened. those 3+3's are fake.
And to add to insult to argument, they also hung a blow-up version of a tiny needle-pin-up that MB handed out to long mile drivers. So, also not something that belongs in a historical cabinet, where you'd expect genuine vintage relics.
Today i went into one, and I have collected samples from every hood ornament that mercedes produced since 1926. And i was right. have a look yourself.
First that museum-show case

floyd111

#1
the top star is something else altogether. It has 3 compressed laurels and a branch sticking out on top and on the bottom. That was simply  not a thing.
The bottom star is an american aftermarket shield, and not a mercedes issue. One clearly sees but 3 leaves on each side

In the large photo there is another shield visible that doesn't belong. the 100.000km shield, a blowup version of a pin-up.

floyd111

1926-1942

floyd111

1940-1960

floyd111

1962-1972

floyd111

1974-79

from 1980 onwards, everyone knows the stars in and out. Millions of cars, millions of pics, no confusion possible, all the way up to 2020

That's some seriously disappointing job that the curator has done here.
As amazing as the fact that hundreds of thousands of visitors, freaks, specialists and collectors have walked right past all of that, and nobody noticed.
Somebody should tell someone.

ptashek

I was in the museum three times over the last six years, and can't recall seeing that display you speak of. Do you know which floor it's on?
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

floyd111

No, I don't. Douglas Adams comes to mind, the location of the paperwork to object the ring road.

ptashek

That's easy! Go down to the basement. Look for the old toilet (mind the leopard!). There's a locked cabinet in there. It's in the bottom drawer.

I've some pics from the museum. I'll have a look, maybe I caught it.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

rumb

Stan, You are an astute scholar with these things.  I looked at my Mercedes Benz MBCA name tag and they have but 2 leaves, though it looks like they simply ran out of room on the small logo.

When you are all complete with your showcases you should publish a book or article on the entire thing.
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

floyd111

In the meantime I wrote to the curator of the museum.. ;)

floyd111

#11
And they answered! Very friendly, explaining that the team that set up that specific exhibition team just wanted to show the "random" ways the MB star 2 was used over the ages, worldwide, and that includes items issued by dealers, traders or random third parties.
That's of course is as true as it is unacceptable, and that nice lady was acutely aware of what I was speaking of. MB, since 1926 never issued anything with anything else but the 4+4 laurels logo (even though they DO have copyrights to a whole list of variations, but strictly for safeguarding purposes)
it is also not only a historically confusing exhibition, but -apparently- also an utterly dull one.
if you consider how many thousands of visitors have filmed and photographed every item in that museum, ever corner of that museum, flying drones, etc etc. and nearly 100% of the picture-taking mob running amok on 4 floors, every minute of the week, all instinctively decided to stop taking pictures each time they walked past that 30 feet long cupboard.
Feel free to google that and find some pictures, other than the 1 pic, showing the cupboard from the left side, at a distance, the only stock picture from the MB side. I tried everything! It's like the exhibit never existed, or doesn't exist anymore. But no, it's right there. And there's fabulous items in there.
So, I am asking the museum if they are interested to let me help fix that, set up a completely new, historically correct exhibit with both our collections combined, minus the third party stuff. That would be a bucket list event!  I know it's a 6000 mile long shot, but I never say no to those long shots. It's not even about the money, but that showcase is an eye sore.

Imagine walking through the front doors of the Stuttgart museum, with all your hopes up, then finally arriving after a lifetime of waiting, your heart beating, finally stepping into the Grand Hall, and the first classic Mercedes-Benz Automobile to greet you is a 1991 Korean Chairman S-Class with an original W124 trunk star super-glued to its bonnet.
Next up, a VW beetle kit car with a W123 grille, and its license plate tastefully replaced with a a small printed American sign shouting: "Mercedes Parking ONLY!"

I really wonder why they've never fixed that exhibit. Maybe there's really nobody who has enough of a clue?