Austin/Morris Day, Brooklands Museum
11 March 2012
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When I last wrote about Brooklands it was 2009, and I wrote that I was unable to
visit Mercedes World due to lack of time and deteriorating weather, so on this occasion
I was determined to put the matter right, even the weather was excellent !. I arrived
in my Austin A35, after an uneventful journey, (which for the M25 is quite remarkable),
and as usual in front of the Brooklands Clubhouse was a fine display of pre-
Austin Swallow
Austins various
As usual, I can’t resist the temptation to have a quick look at some of the absolutely beautiful machines in the Brooklands Museum, including the Napier Railton. amongst others. Now, no distractions !, I must go and investigate Mercedes World, before the opportunity is gone for another year. So, having obtained directions, I exit the Brooklands site and walk along a road which feels just like any other developing industrial area. Curiously though, amidst the development, the majority of which must be on the site of the old Air Field, parts of the old Brooklands racing circuit are still in existence, I can see part of the old banking, and what must have been the straight (Railway), lets hope that they are protected for posterity !, after all, when it comes to legendary locations in the world of motor Racing, they don’t come much bigger than Brooklands !.
Approaching the Mercedes World building, you cannot fail to be impressed by this opulent glass Temple, where thousands of visitors every year arrive to pay homage to the German icon of the car industry, with its legendary three pointed star. The minute that you enter this glass fronted, building you begin to feel an atmosphere of quality (and wealth). There are two free guided tours available per day, and I was lucky enough to arrive just as one of the tours was starting. If you are visiting, I would certainly recommend a guided tour as our guide was very well informed, and his commentary seemed to bring a new dimension to the whole experience. The accent is very much on AMG, the Motor Sport division of Mercedes, and to the rear of the building is a race track, where no doubt for a not inconsiderable fee one can enjoy ‘the Mercedes sporting experience’. Meanwhile back in ‘the Temple’, there are displays of all kinds of Mercedes product, from the legendary ‘Gullswing 300SL’ of the sixties, to McLaren F1 cars including one driven in his Championship winning year by Lewis Hamilton, with a number of examples of the latest models. One amazing feature in a huge glass case, is an exploded view of a F1 car, with most of its parts suspended by wires in mid air for effect. There is even a soundproofed suite, where the rich and famous can purchase their latest £350,000 car in privacy. This suite has its own private entrance via a lift, private lounge, catering, en suite etc, the soundproofing of course is so that complete privacy is assured. The tour concludes with the chance to view some superb examples of the Mercedes cars of yesteryear.
Exploded view of a F1 car
Skid Pan & track
300SL ‘Gullswing’
AMG – 2012 style
Top of the range models, such as the SLS pictured above right, even have a plaque on the top of the engine with the name of the technician responsible for the engine build, hence any problem, and the engine is returned to him for attention, bespoke, or what ?.
Well, whether you are a fan of Mercedes or not, a visit to this newer part of the Brooklands experience which was first opened in 2006, is highly recommended and not to be missed.
Austintatious