Nationales Automuseum – The Loh Collection, Dietzhölztal, Germany
Opening April 12, 2025
With the temporary exhibition “Grand Prix Icons”, the Nationales Automuseum – The Loh Collection revisits Grand Prix racing history, from the early 20th century to the present day. The exhibition features a selection of over 30 historic competition cars. The term Grand Prix first appeared in 1901 with the Grand Prix de Pau, in south-west France. Of course, there was no permanent circuit yet, and the races took place on public roads, closed to traffic and forming a circuit that was run several times.
Grand Prix are pure speed races, as opposed to endurance races known as “sports car races”, and the cars are significantly different. Little by little, Grand Prix racing developed in different countries, in Europe, the USA, South America and North Africa. Although there was no real established championship, regulations were harmonized, and many manufacturers entered competitions to prove the reliability and performance of their cars. The history of Grand Prix racing can be divided into 2 main periods: the early 20th century up to the Second World War, and the Formula 1 era from 1950 onwards.
1900-1939
Among the oldest cars on display are a 1904 Gordon Bennet Cup Napier, and a 1924 Delage, fitted with one of the first V12 competition engines. This exceptional exhibition features the brands that marked the history of motor racing up to the end of the 1930s: Alfa Romeo, Auto-Union, Bugatti, Delage, Mercedes-Benz, Opel… Most of the models on display are authentic racing cars, with a remarkable pedigree, cars that won legendary events in the hands of the most famous drivers of their day.
The Bugatti Type 35, at the origin of the Bugatti thoroughbred myth, is the most successful car in the history of motor racing, with over 2,000 victories. While many Type 35 copies can be seen today, the car on display here is the one that won the very first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929, in the hands of William Grover Williams, and remains in its original condition. The Bugatti 53, an experimental variant with all-wheel drive, is the sole survivor of the 3 models built in the early 1930s. Another Grand Prix winner was the Alfa Romeo P3, which won the German GP driven by the legendary Tazio Nuvolari. Also driven by Nuvolari, the Alfa Romeo 16 C BiMotore raced several Grand Prix, but its undoubtedly unique architecture (2 in-line 8-cylinder engines, one at the front and one behind the driver) made it tricky to drive.
Spurred on by the Nazi regime, German manufacturers dominated Grand Prix racing in the late 1930s, Mercedes with the W125 and then the W154, and Auto-Union, which was one of the first manufacturers to place the engine in a central rear position, as on the 1938 Type D on display. To save weight, the bodywork was left bare, giving rise to the name of the Silver Arrows, still used today for Mercedes in F1.
Formula 1 after World War II
After the 2nd World War, motor sport gradually took off again, and in 1946 the International Sports Commission (CSI) of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) proposed a standardization of Grand Prix rules under the new name of Formula 1. On this basis, the Formula 1 World Championship, which crowns a driver, was born in 1950. Building on the experience acquired in the 1930s, Formula 1 was initially dominated by the Italian brands (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari), soon joined by Mercedes, which made a strong comeback with the W196 and dominated the 1954 and 1955 seasons. Mercedes withdrew from motor racing following the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans accident, leaving the field to Ferrari and Maserati. The Maserati 250F is one of the iconic F1 cars of this period, winning the 1957 German GP with Juan Manuel Fangio, who that year claimed his 5th and final World Championship title.
Ferrari is the only manufacturer to have participated in the World Championship from the outset, and the “Icons of Formula 1” exhibition presents a fine selection of these, including models such as the 1972 312 B2, the 312 B4 driven by Niki Lauda in 1974, and models from the 2000s, when Ferrari was one of the most prominent brands, such as the F2000, world champion in 2000 with Michael Schumacher, the F1 2004, world champion in 2004 again with Michael Schumacher (7th and last title), or the F1 2007, world champion in 2007, that year with Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari’s last title to date).
McLaren is another major player in Formula 1, with 9 constructors’ titles, represented in the exhibition by the McLaren M23 which enabled James Hunt to become Drivers’ World Champion in 1976 (even though Ferrari won the constructors’ title), the McLaren Honda MP4/4, winner of the 1989 Monaco GP with Ayrton Senna at the wheel, and the McLaren Mercedes which enabled Mika Hakkinen to become World Champion in 1999, the car on display having won the Japanese GP. After a role as engine manufacturer, Mercedes returned as a full-fledged constructor in the 2010s, with the success we know, lining up 7 successive titles with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg between 2014 and 2020. 2 Silver Arrows are on display, a 2012 driven by Michael Schumacher and a 2019 by Lewis Hamilton.
Other Formula 1 cars on display include a Brabham-BMW with which Nelson Piquet became World Champion in 1983, a Tyrrell 010 driven by Stefan Bellof (1983), Williams and Jordan. In addition to the Formula 1 cars, the “Grand Prix Icons” exhibition features an Indycar single-seater, a Penske-Mercedes PC26 from 1994, and a 1979 BMW M1 Pro Car, driven by Niki Lauda and owned by Ron Dennis (former McLaren boss). BMW M1 Procar were used as introducing races at Grand Prix events, in the hands of F1 drivers.
A superbly illustrated book entitled “Grand Prix – Icons of the Premier Class of Motorsport”, published in parallel with the exhibition, is available from the museum. It contains many interesting stories and anecdotes about the Grand Prix. Written by Jörg Walz, author and renowned racing expert, it presents the cars on display in detail and provides comprehensive information on many aspects of motorsport’s premier class. In addition, the Nationales Automuseum store offers model cars, dioramas and automobilia specially created for the exhibition.
The photos on this page belong to the National Automuseum – The Loh Collection, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.