The Meilenwerk in the Stuttgart area opened its doors in September 2009 after two years of planning and construction work. Since then it has wowed thousands of classic car fans, and indeed anyone who has "petrol coursing through their veins".
The investor Andreas Dünkel ploughed €20 million into the redevelopment of the former airfield building, which is a listed property. He has therefore made a major contribution towards maintaining the economic and political history of the former regional airport.
The core of the 16,000-sqm project is the workshop with its 56 glass boxes. Classic car aficionados are able to put their prized possessions here so that they can receive the best possible care from specialists. The gallery in this building is new, and can be driven on from one end to the other. In addition to a cookery school and providers of art objects and accessories linked to the classic cars theme, real estate group Activ Immobilien Group will also set up a new branch here.
The former hangar has become a sales hall. Classic cars as well as new luxury cars are offered for sale, and some can also be hired. Meilenwerk initiator Martin Halder is pleased that "all spaces in this area are already occupied". In addition to the extensive refurbishment measures, the initiators of the project succeeded in finding 40 tenants for the newly designed space. Service partners such as saddlers, electricians, car interior designers, and merchants offering an assortment of model cars, high-value textiles, technical literature, spare parts and accessories share the space with a restaurant, a cigar and whiskey lounge and a house brewery. A total of 150 jobs will be created here.
Those who cannot get enough of the automobile theme have the opportunity to stay at one of the ten theme rooms in the V8 hotel. In addition to the rooms with original designs such as a car wash, a petrol station, a drive-in cinema or a garage, there are also 24 "normally" equipped rooms. For those with a taste for the unusual, there is the Zeppelin suite over four floors.
The hall of legends, which is a venue for all kinds of events, completes the building complex. Cultural events as well as workshops, symposia, seminars and formal soirées are able to make use of the 1,000-sqm space with its event equipment and technology.
