AWE – Automobilwerk Eisenach
Automobilbaumuseum
Automobile Production Museum
99817 Eisenach
Rennbahn 6-8 (Sparkasse Building)
Phone: (0) 3691 / 7 72 12
Opening times:
Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm
Closed on Mondays
Eisenach is kind of the forgotten BMW Museum. I have been wanting to go here for a long time. I almost did not make it in time, but more about that in a moment. Eisenach has produced many automobiles over the years: Wartburg, Dixi, BMW, EMW, IFA and Opel. BMW did not like the fact that in Eisenach they produced cars even before BMW ever did. And they were using their logo. So… the East German government changed the name to EMW and went with a red and white propeller design/logo. The rest as they say is history.
Today, Opel produces cars (the Corsa model) in Eisenach. And BMW has a small steel stamping/press factory here too.
Eisenach is near Erfurt. My TomTom told me to take the A73 Autobahn to the A71 and then I would drive the bundestrasse B88 into Eisenach. But like always when I drive into the former East Germany… what looks like a short distance on the map becomes a long journey! It did not help I was running low on fuel and looking for an Esso so I could buy tax free fuel. I ended up wasting a lot of time. I did end up finding an Esso in Suhl. And then I was on my way to Eisenach. I got to the museum just fifteen minutes before they closed for the day. So… I was a busy beaver with my camera! The museum curator was nice enough to let me stay a little bit beyond the 5pm closing time. I then took quite a few pictures of the outside of the building and old press stamping machine. In the end it was worth it! I think I took some nice pictures. You guys tell me!
Even though the back roads (Bundesstrasse) were really nice to drive thru, I think next time I will just stick to the autobahn. Even though that way is slightly longer… it is sure to be a faster way.
AWE – Automobilwerk Eisenach Museum has only been open for five years. They have plans to renovate the old factory (next door). It’s the one with all the windows broken out of it. It has a real old world charm to it. I also like how they have kept the old façade of the entry building – where the old check point was. It makes quite an impression. The curator told me that right now the museum only has cars on display on the first floor. But they have plans to showcase more restored cars on the second and third floors. That will happen over the next few years. You can tell the museum is still evolving.
Enjoy my photos,
Dackel
The old front gate… and my TiAg 135i
The old factory…
One of the old body presses…
Museun (left) background…
Museum entrance…
The many faces of Eisenach’s front door…
And today…
Wartburg…
Wind tunnel models...
EMW car...
Prototyp model...
EMW motorrad...
BMW silver spoon!
The war times...
Adler typewriter...
EMW Ambulance…
BMW 7er, Smart and Opel Corsa chassis
This looks to be a hydrogen powered 7er… extra fuel door.
How cool is THIS!
I never saw a kombi/sw version before!
Opel factory across town… and the old Opel Corsa B.
Dixi…
Machine lathe…
One last look at the museum entrance...
Future plans…
Museum lest – old ruined factory on the right…
The original body press…
The End.
More photos of Eisenach…
http://s764.photobucket.com/albums/x...rk%20Eisenach/
Web links:
Eisenach – the city:
http://www.eisenach.de/automobile-we...76.0.html?&L=1
The Museum:
http://www.eisenach.de/fileadmin/fil...1079609272.pdf
The History of EisenachWerk…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobilwerk_Eisenach
Car year model production
1898 - 1900 Wartburg
1907 - 1913 Dixi R 8
1927 - 1929 Dixi 3/ 15 (DA 1)
1929 - 1931 BMW 3/ 15 (DA 2)
1933 - 1934 BMW 303
1934 - 1936 BMW 309
1934 - 1937 BMW 315
1935 - 1937 BMW 319
1936 - 1941 BMW 326
1936 - 1941 BMW 327
1937 - 1939 BMW 321
1945 - 1949 BMW 321
1949 - 1955 BMW/ EMW 340
1950 - 1955 BMW/ EMW 327
1953 - 1956 IFA F 9
1956 - 1965 Wartburg 311
1966 - 1975 Wartburg 353
1975 - 1988 Wartburg 353 W
1988 - 1991 Wartburg 1,3
seit 1991 Opel Vectra
Opel Corsa
Opel Astra
Motorcycle year production
1942 - 1944 BMW R 75
1945 - 1955 BMW / EMW R 35