DESTINATION IDEAS
   England
   Germany
   Italy
   France
   Austria
   Belgium
   Croatia
   Ireland
   Wales
   Switzerland
   Castles
   Museums
   Cathedrals
   War History
   Family Travel
   Wine & Food
   Motorsports
   Romantic Hotels

France Alsace Image

MULHOUSE
HOTEL DEALS

BARGAIN SEARCH
HOTELS
AIRFARES
AUTO & RAIL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bargain Travel Europe guide to Europe on a budget for vacation destinations,
travel ideas and secret spots missed by travel tours.





CITÉ D L'AUTOMOBILE - AUTO COLLECTION SCHLUMPF
France National Vintage Car Collection in Mulhouse

Cite Automobile Schlumpf Car Museum EntranceIt is one of the world’s great collections of vintage automobiles and racing cars - a stunningly impressive gathering of car design in Alsace, France and a curious story of passion for collecting and conflict of business and labor movement. Known as the Cité d l'Automobile National Auto Museum Collection Schlumpf or simply the “City of the Automobile” in Mulhouse, just a stone’s throw from the Swiss border. The museum of nearly 450 classic historical cars in Alsace fills a former textile warehouse with row upon row of gleaming examples of automotive history, mostly entirely European makes, especially a wonderland for fans of Bugatti, with its huge array of the marque from nearby Molsheim (see Molsheim Bugatti), with Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, Maserati, Ferrari for good measure. The exhibition space in the former factory with hundreds of cars has been recently upgraded to a modern interactive museum display, with even a car train to carry visitors around the sprawling space.

Bugatti Royal Coupe Napoleon Limousine photoThe cars are displayed by era in the main hall, covering automotive history from 1878 to the present day, with additional halls for motor racing cars from sports and Formula 1 through the years, and a special Hall of Masterpieces, featuring the museums grandest and rarest examples of the collection from the glorious design age of luxury cars from the 1930s, especially the famous sleek gleaming lines of the Bugatti Royale Coupe Napoleon, the personal car of Ettore Bugatti. In the racing hall the collection of race machines are lined in rows as if on the Grand Prix starting grid, with accompanying race start motor sounds. A special exhibit is set aside to see the new Bugatti Veyron, one of the world’s most expensive luxury cars, with the modern Bugatti brand now owned by Volkswagen (see Volkswagen Autostadt Wolfsburg). To see the historical cars as they were meant to be – on the move - a new outdoor demonstration track has been added for the “On Track” live show.

History of Schlumpf Collection

Car Museum Collection Schlumpf Main Hall photoThe museum has a rather unique history. The Schlumpf brothers, Hans and Fritz, were born in Italy, a Swiss father and a mother from Mulhouse in the Alsace. The family returned to Mulhouse (pronounced Muh-loose) where they grew up. The elder Hans went to private school in Switzerland and followed a background in banking, and the younger Fritz worked in a textile factory, learning the business. In 1935, the two brothers went into the textile business together, buying shares in a spinning mill and soon adding holdings in various companies. In 1957, the brothers bought the HKD textile factory in Mulhouse, a former wool mill. Fritz Schlumpf had a lifelong love of cars; especially the Bugatti and the success of the business allowed him begin to fulfill his dream. While their mill spindles were turning in their various holdings, and their personal wealth building, Fritz began to secretly collect automobiles through a network of various buyers in France, Italy, Switzerland, England, Germany and the US and tucking them into a warehouse of the factory.

66 Ferrari Grand Prix  Mulhouse photoBetween 1961 and 1963, the collection rapidly swelled, adding hundreds some of the most beautiful cars ever made. In 1965, the first notice of the private collection of cars made it into the press in Alsace. In 1966, Fritz Schlumpf decided to display his cars to the public, structuring floor space into the “Schlumpf Museum, with the purchasing, restoration, and exhibiting this collection costing around 12 million French francs over 10 years. But then came the 1970s. Labor strife and bad economies brought the Schlumpf run to a slump. The factory workers went on strike and the brothers bolted. They tried to sell their factories for a symbolic one French franc, but with no takers, left it all behind, and stepped across the border to Basel, Switzerland, never to return. Unions took over the collection for a time and called it the “Workers Museum”, but rather than have the cars sold off, the collection was designated as a French Historical Monument. A foundation was formed by the city of Mulhouse, Alsace Bas-Rhin region and private partners to acquire car collection and the National Automobile Museum opened to the public in 1982.

Restaurants

The museum has two restaurants, the L’Atalante with French and regional cuisine, open for lunch, located the first floor of the Cité de l'Automobile with large bay windows looking over the exhibition track. The restaurant is open every day except Mondays with access separate from the entrance to the museum. The La Piste cafeteria offers buffet service during the regular museum hours, also offering a view of the track and separate entry from the museum exhibit. The Cite du Automobile is operated by Culturespaces - which also manages the French Cite Du Train Museum also in Mulhouse.

Visiting Cite du L’Automobile Collection Schlumpf

Bugatti at Schlumpf Collection Mulhouse photoThe museum is open from 10am to 6pm from April to November, 10am to 5pm, November to March, except in January and February when opening at 1pm weekdays and closed on Christmas Day. Entrance prices are €13.50 standard and €10.50 reduction (seniors students), for the museum and the “On Track” outdoor show, or €11 and €8.50 for just the museum. The audio guide is included free with entry. A combined single ticket to also visit the Cite du Train Museum across town is available. The Cité de l’Automobile museum is about 5 minutes from Mulhouse city center by car, and can be reached by city bus. Mulhouse is 30 minutes from Basel and the EuroAirport, about an hour from Strasbourg and conveniently a stop on the TGV line (see France TGV High Speed Rail) from Paris to Basel. © Bargain

Other historical sites managed by CultureSpaces
Cité du Train Mulhouse
Chateau des Baux Provence
Roman Theater Antique Orange
Waterloo Battle Museum Belgium

Find best hotel and travel deals in Alsace on TripAdvisor

Web Info
Cité d l'Automobile

These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.

See Also:

ELECTROPOLIS MUSEUM

ALSACE WINE ROAD AUBERGE INNS

MULHOUSE - TOURING ALSACE

AUTOWORLD BELGIUM CINQUANTENAIRE - BRUSSELS

PORSCHE MUSEUM - STUTTGART

SPEYER TECHNIK MUSEUM

DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX EXHIBITION