The Loh Collection, the national car museum, portrays a century of rally history with selected vehicles in a fascinating exhibition. The vehicles on display tell the stories of the different eras, the development of vehicle technology and the achievements of the athletes. Parallel to the special exhibition, a comprehensive book will once again be published in cooperation with Motorbuch-Verlag.
With the new special exhibition "Rally Legends - Time travel on asphalt, gravel and snow", the national car museum The Loh Collection tells the history of rallying in a unique way. The spectacular exhibition opens on March 28, 2026 and follows on from the globally acclaimed exhibition "Grand Prix - Icons of the premier class". The vehicles on display range from pre-war vehicles from the starting field of the Monte Carlo Rally to icons of the Group 4 era and a unique compilation of the legendary Group B monsters through to the masterpieces of the WRC era. Milestones from the history of the marathon classic, the Dakar Rally, are also part of the spectacular ensemble of the new special exhibition.
Vehicles on display
The Group 4 vehicles on display include Lancia Stratos, Opel Ascona 400 and an early Audi quattro.
The Group B era is presented in its entirety: from the Lancia 037 Rallye, Porsche 911 SC/RS and Opel Manta 400 to the Peugeot 205 turbo 16 and Ford RS200, Audi Sport quattro S1 PDK and Lancia Delta S4.
The Subaru Impreza WRC of world champion Petter Solberg is also on display, as is the VW Polo R WRC, a model with which Sébastien Ogier has now won four of his nine World Rally Championship titles.
The range of brands extends from Bentley and Mini to Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Lancia, Audi and Porsche through to Peugeot, Subaru and Volkswagen. The list of world stars who once juggled the two dozen or so exhibits across the rally parquet is also diverse: Walter Röhrl is among them, as are Carlos Sainz, Rauno Aaltonen, Hannu Mikkola, Markku Alén, Michèle Mouton, Henri Toivonen, Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen, Didier Auriol, Sébastien Loeb and Stéphane Peterhansel.
Museum founder Friedhelm Loh
"Rallying has produced a large number of fascinating cars," says museum founder Prof. Dr. Ing. h.c. Friedhelm Loh. "And it is undoubtedly the most complete discipline in the multifaceted world of motorsport." Everything has to be just right in a rally: Driver, co-driver, service team and route. "Everyone involved has to adapt to the local conditions at lightning speed," explains Friedhelm Loh. "That's also part of the fascination of rallying. Team spirit, goal orientation, adaptability and speed - these qualities are also required when it comes to mastering everyday challenges." Rally sport is rich in stories and provides many examples of successful action. "It is important to us to bring history and stories closer to the visitors of the National Motor Museum." The exhibition has been curated accordingly. "Because it is only through the exciting combination of people, era and technology that the achievements of this spectacular chapter in automotive history can be understood," explains Tobias Reichle, one of the two managing directors of the National Motor Museum.
A special place
The Loh Collection's extensive collection provides a further insight into technologies and their transformation over 140 years of automotive history. Historic industrial architecture provides an appealing setting for the 130 or so selected vehicles. These include Grand Prix icons, Le Mans winners, DTM stars, supercars from many decades, design icons and breathtaking one-offs as well as countless other classics with history(ies). In addition, the National Automobile Museum tells the history of the location and the industry. With extensive activities at the exhibition location, which also functions as a campus, the National Automuseum is also a recognized educational institution.
In the meantime, the exhibition, which opened in July 2023, has received several awards from renowned juries - including the prestigious FIA Founding Members' Club Heritage Cup from the FIA. "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 National Motor Museum. In just two and a half years, the National Automobile Museum has conquered a top position among automobile museums. More than 200,000 visitors from all over the world have now visited the exciting exhibition in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach. The National Motor Museum's Instagram channel, which now has almost 100,000 followers, is also evidence of growing interest.
In addition to regular visits, the National Motor Museum in the heart of Germany is also a popular stop-off point for numerous classic rallies and vintage car events. This is also very much in the spirit of the collection's initiator, entrepreneur and classic car enthusiast Prof. Dr. Ing. E. h. Friedhelm Loh. His passion for classic cars has been with him for decades and is not just about collecting, but also about driving. "I am delighted that so many people share my enthusiasm for automobiles and the technology in the vehicles," says Friedhelm Loh. "When I started building up my collection decades ago out of admiration for the achievements of engineers and designers, I couldn't have foreseen its current size. The great interest shown by visitors confirms that it was the right decision to make this collection accessible to the public."
Book "Rally Legends - Time travel on asphalt, gravel and snow"
The book "Rallye Legenden - Zeitraise auf Asphalt, Schotter und Schnee" (Rally Legends - Time travel on asphalt, gravel and snow), which is being published alongside the exhibition, also tells the story of the engineers' ideas and many other interesting stories from the rally scene. It is written by renowned author and motorsport expert Jörg Walz with a foreword by Christian Geistdörfer, co-driver alongside Walter Röhrl. The book portrays the exhibition vehicles and also offers readers comprehensive information on other rally performers and numerous aspects of the sport. This is another way in which the National Motor Museum is building seamlessly on previous special exhibitions. The richly illustrated book is published by Motorbuch-Verlag. In addition, the National Motor Museum's well-stocked store offers model vehicles and automobilia specially produced for the special exhibition.
Further information can be found on the Loh Collection website.
