The Automobilhistorische Gesellschaft e. V. (AHG) awarded its new prizes for the first time on 14 May 2022 in Eisenach: the Maybach bust, which honors special commitment in the field of vehicle history, and the Metternich bust, which refers to a significant journalistic achievement.
The first award - named after the automobile pioneer Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) - went to Ulf Schulz from Berlin. The AHG jury not only saw the 43-year-old motoring journalist's overall concept for the 100th anniversary of the Avus as an outstanding achievement; laudator Carsten Müller, Member of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the Parliamentary Group on Automotive Cultural Heritage, praised above all Ulf Schulz's unwavering commitment to pushing through his ideas and ideals even in the face of massive resistance.
The second heavy bronze head, which shows automotive historian and AHG co-founder Michael Graf Wolff Metternich (1920-2018), was awarded to Prof. Dr. Peter Kirchberg (87) from Dresden for his literary life's work, in particular the books "Plaste, Blech und Planwirtschaft. Die Geschichte des Automobilbaus in der DDR" and "Automobilgeschichte in Deutschland - die Motorisierungswellen bis 1939" impressed the judges. "It is precisely the combination of exciting narrative form and vivid depictions of complex historical contexts that make these two books outstanding standard works," emphasized Wolfgang Blaube, first chairman of the AHG, in his laudatory speech.
The Maybach Bust and the Metternich Bust are awarded once a year as part of the Metternich Days, the AHG's spring event. Applications for these prizes can be submitted via the Automobilhistorische Gesellschaft e. V. homepage.
