With its new special exhibition, ‘Rallye Legends – Journey on Asphalt, Gravel and Snow’, the Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection tells the story of rallying in a unique way. The spectacular exhibition opens on 28 March 2026 and follows on from the globally acclaimed exhibition ‘Grand Prix – Icons of the Elite Class’. The vehicles on display extend from pre-war cars from the starting grid of the Monte Carlo Rally to icons of the Group 4 period, a unique collection of legendary Group B monsters, and the winning cars of the WRC era. Moreover, milestones from the gruelling Dakar Rally through the desert, as well as record holders from the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, are also part of the new special exhibition’s spectacular ensemble, which is supported by the Automobilclub von Deutschland e.V. (AvD).
A colourful range of models – raced by rallying icons
Group 4 vehicles on show include a Lancia Stratos, an Opel Ascona 400 and an early Audi quattro. The Group B era is represented in its entirety – from the Lancia Rally 037, Porsche 911 SC/RS and Opel Manta 400 to the Peugeot 205 turbo 16, Ford RS200, Audi Sport quattro S1 PDK and the Lancia Delta S4. The Subaru Impreza WRC of Petter Solberg is also on display, along with the VW Polo R WRC, the car in which Sébastien Ogier won four of his nine World Rally Championship titles. The range of marques extends from Bentley and Mini to Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Lancia, Audi and Porsche, through to Peugeot, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen.
The list of global stars who once raced the array of exhibits across the rally circuits is also diverse. It includes Walter Röhrl, as well as Carlos Sainz, Rauno Aaltonen, Hannu Mikkola, Markku Alén, Michèle Mouton, Henri Toivonen, Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen, Didier Auriol, Sébastien Loeb, and Stéphane Peterhansel.
Acknowledging rallying as a particularly authentic form of motorsport
“Rallying has produced a multitude of fascinating cars,” says the museum’s founder, Professor Friedhelm Loh. “It is the most comprehensive discipline in the multifaceted world of motorsport. In rallying, everything has to be right: the driver, the co-driver, the service team and the course. Everyone involved has to adapt to the respective circumstances at breakneck speed. This is also part of what makes rallying so fascinating. Team spirit, goal orientation, adaptability and speed – these qualities are essential to overcoming specific challenges such as heat, cold or road conditions.” Rallying is rich in stories and full of examples of successful action. “It matters to us that we bring history and stories to life for visitors to the Nationales Automuseum,” Professor Loh adds. The exhibition is organised in line with this approach. “It is only through the exciting combination of people, the era concerned and the technology that the achievements of this spectacular chapter in automotive history can be understood,” explains Tobias Reichle, one of the Nationales Automuseum’s two managing directors.
New publication: “Rallye Legends – A Time Journey on Asphalt, Gravel and Snow”
The book “Rallye Legends – A Time Journey on Asphalt, Gravel and Snow”, which is now being published to coincide with the exhibition, also retells the engineers’ ideas and many other interesting stories from the world of rallying. It has been written by renowned author and motorsport expert Jörg Walz with a foreword by Christian Geistdörfer, who was Walter Röhrl’s co-driver. The book looks at vehicles on display and provides readers with comprehensive information on other rally participants and numerous aspects of the sport. It is a seamless continuation of the Nationales Automuseum’s previous special exhibitions. This lavishly illustrated volume is published in German and English by Motorbuch-Verlag. Moreover, the Nationales Automuseum’s well-stocked shop also offers model vehicles and automobilia created specifically for the special exhibition.
Attractive permanent exhibition – winner of numerous awards
The extensive Loh Collection provides a detailed insight into technologies and how they have evolved over 140 years of automotive history. The museum’s historic industrial architecture provides an impressive backdrop for the 130 or so selected vehicles. These include Grand Prix icons, Le Mans winners, DTM stars, supercars from many decades, design icons, breath-taking one-offs and prototypes, as well as countless other classic automobiles, each with its own very special story. In addition, the Nationales Automuseum tells the story of the site and its industrial history, serves as a university campus and recognised educational institution, and hosts events and celebrations.
Since its opening in July 2023, the exhibition has received several awards from renowned juries, including the renowned FIA Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup. “Even more than the awards, we are delighted that our exhibition has been so well received by our visitors,” says Florian Urbitsch, Managing Director of the Nationales Automuseum. “The Nationales Automuseum has conquered a top position among automobile museums in only two and a half years, both for experts and the public alike.”
A magnet for automobile aficionados
So far, well over 230,000 visitors from all over the world have come to see this fascinating exhibition in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach. The Nationales Automuseum’s Instagram channel also attests to a growing interest, with more than 100,000 followers now checking out daily events. Set in the heart of Germany, the Nationales Automuseum is a regular attraction and a popular stopover for numerous classic-car rallies and vintage-car events. This is also entirely in line with the wishes of the collection’s initiator, Professor Loh, an entrepreneur and classic car enthusiast. He has been passionate about classic cars for decades – not just collecting them but also driving them. “I am pleased that so many people share my passion for automobiles and the technology they contain,” Professor Loh added. “When I started collecting decades ago, out of admiration for the achievements of engineers and designers, I had no idea how large it would become. The huge interest shown by visitors confirms that the decision to make this collection accessible to the public was the right one.”
About the Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection
As one of the world’s most exciting collections of automobiles, the Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach, Hesse, displays around 160 spectacular vehicles from 1885 to the present. The exhibition, which has been open to the public since July 2023, covers 7,500 square metres across a network of 11 halls and museum rooms on a former industrial site. It displays numerous individual pieces, prototypes and highlights from automotive history drawn from the collection of the museum’s founder, Professor Friedhelm Loh, as well as selected items on loan. The aim is to document the historical, technical and economic development of the automobile and to awaken a sense of fascination for it. The comprehensive portfolio and professional curation also make the Nationales Automuseum interesting for research and teaching. The “Hochschulcampus Nationales Automuseum” (Nationales Automuseum University Campus) is affiliated with the Faculty of Business and Law at Nürtingen-Geislingen University (HfWU) and also offers a wide range of educational opportunities for schools and universities. A museum shop, a cinema, catering facilities, and event spaces accommodating up to 500 people are also available.
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Contact
- Stiftung Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection
- Museumsstraße 1; 35716 Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach; Germany
- Telephone: +49 2774 923 650
- E-mail: presse@nationalesautomuseum.de
- www.nationalesautomuseum.de
