At the "ErfinderZeiten" car and clock museum in Schramberg, a special exhibition entitled "The Wankel engine: on water, on land and in the air" is dedicated to the inventive spirit of the Swabian region of Baden.
The aim of this special exhibition is to present the Wankel engine with its numerous different areas of application from its early development by the Baden inventor Felix Wankel together with the Swabian motorcycle and automobile manufacturing company NSU in its various areas of application on water, on land and in the air.
Not just cars
In addition to an "icon" of automobile construction, the Mercedes-Benz C 111 with a 4-disc engine and the world's first series-produced automobile with a Wankel engine, the NSU/Wankel Spider, various exhibits, some of them very curious, will be on display in which Wankel engines were used. These included a water ski towing device with the first series-produced Wankel engine, a transportable ski lift, a snowmobile and many other devices, machines and functional models, also with Wankel engines from Fichtel&Sachs.
This exhibition also aims to show that the Wankel engine is still in use today, for example as a range extender and as a multi-fuel combustion engine. Corresponding exhibits, such as the Audi A1 e-tron and a high-speed chainsaw with a Wankel engine used in the Timbersport competitions, will be on display.
From invention to application
The exhibition attempts to cover a wide range of topics: from the invention by the inventor Felix Wankel from Baden to the decisive development at the Swabian company NSU in Neckarsulm, the revolutionary Mercedes-Benz C 111, known as the "Wankel rocket", to modern drive concepts that are currently being developed as an alternative to the familiar petrol and diesel combustion engines.
The originally planned start of the exhibition and opening event in mid-May unfortunately had to be postponed. In times of the Corona crisis, we are happy that our museum is open to visitors again and can provide exciting insights into contemporary history, the world of vehicles and everyday life from the end of the war to the 1970s with Martin Sauter's large collection on five levels.
The Wankel special exhibition opens on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 and is expected to run until March 2021.
Opening times and further information can be found on the museum's website.
