Cité de l'Automobile

The Cité de l'Automobile, officially the Musée National de l'Automobile, houses the Schlumpf Collection, the largest collection of historic cars in the world, in a huge hall in Mulhouse. The collection exists because of two brothers, Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, who made a fortune in the textile industry in Alsace. From the 1950s they began to buy cars in secret, concentrating on the great French marques, above all Bugatti, and they accumulated several hundred vehicles, which they kept in a disused wool-spinning mill at Malmerspach, in the Vosges. The cars were restored and displayed in a vast space, but only the brothers and a few of their employees knew about it.

The secret ended in 1976 and 1977. The Schlumpf factories were in financial trouble, and workers who were laid off occupied the mill and discovered the hidden collection, which became a symbol of the dispute. The brothers fled to Switzerland, and the collection was seized and, after a long legal battle, classified as a national treasure and acquired by a French association and local authorities. It was opened to the public in 1982 in Mulhouse, in a building that formerly housed the spinning mill of Mulhouse's textile industry, and it was expanded in the 2000s into the large museum that exists today.

The museum contains around four hundred cars, from the earliest steam carriages of the nineteenth century to modern sports cars and racing machines. A hall of the great names displays Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Delahaye and Hispano-Suiza cars, many in perfect condition. The highlight is the Bugatti group, with more than a hundred cars from the Molsheim factory, which is only a short distance away in Alsace, including two examples of the Bugatti Royale, the type 41, a gigantic luxury car of the early 1930s of which only six were made, and which is among the most expensive and exclusive automobiles ever produced. Racing cars from Grand Prix history and cars that belonged to famous people, among them some of the most beautiful machines of the twentieth century, are on view, and the displays are arranged with lighting and street lamps to recreate the atmosphere of the period.

A visit lasts about two hours, and enthusiasts may want longer. The museum is open every day, including most holidays, with the exception of 25 December, and its hours change with the season. There are tickets at several rates, with reduced prices for young people and families, and tickets may be purchased online. A particular attraction is the autodrome, where visitors can drive a vintage or classic car for a few laps after instruction, in the afternoon, with booking possible but not compulsory and costs varying by model. There is also a shop.

The museum lies on the edge of the centre of Mulhouse, and it fits well with other sights of the town, such as the Musée de l'Impression sur Étoffes, the textile printing museum, and the old town around the Place de la Réunion. The Cité du Train, the railway museum, is another large museum in Mulhouse. The museum suits car lovers, families and anyone who enjoys engineering and design.