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Volkswagen's Autostadt or "car city" in Wolfsburg

20-storey car tower - dealership and theme park

Toytown Germany > Discussion forum > Germany-wide > Life in Germany

cinzia

Oct 28 2007, 2:59 am

One of my neighbors sent me the following text and photos, and wants to know if this is really a new garage in Munich. Anyone know? Is it a public or private lot? In the photos, all the cars look shiny and new, and I'm not seeing any license plates. Does it perhaps belong to a car dealer? Or is it a fake?

QUOTE

The two photos below were taken at a new parking garage in Munich. The actual space that the facility occupies is approximately only 20% of a comparable facility with the traditional design that is used primarily in the US. Not only is the German structure less expensive to build, but vehicles are also "retrieved" in less time and without the potential of being damaged by an attendant.

I lived in Munich for several years and have seen such things on a much smaller scale, including that one above ground off the ring road that a friend of mine dubbed "the Smart Car Dispenser." I'm only interested if anyone knows about this particular one.

cinzia

Oct 28 2007, 3:43 am

Never mind. Did a little checking on e-mail hoax sites and came up with this from an Urban Legends site:

QUOTE

These photos are authentic, though mislabeled. What you actually see above is the interior of a 20-storey car tower in Volkswagen's Autostadt or "car city" in Wolfburg, Germany — basically a car dealership and theme park rolled into one.

The Autostadt, which opened in 2001 and boasts a hotel, restaurants, a museum, and other attractions, sees over 1 million visitors per year. Car buyers take delivery of their purchases via a fully automated procedure whereby the automobile is plucked robotically from a cubbyhole in one of the two "twin towers," each of which holds up to 400 vehicles, and brought to its owner on a special elevator.

Image credit notes: The top image has been previously credited in news stories to AP photographer Fabian Bimmer, who in all likelihood is also responsible for the second one.

Saltanat

Nov 1 2007, 6:45 pm

There is the first garage in Germany that is smth like this but not in round form but along and under the DOnnerbergerbruecke street . one does not need to look for a place you just drive in the car to someting like LIFT and leave the car in then get the ticket. The car will be automatically brought to the free place.

cheers

salti

Kyla

Nov 1 2007, 9:06 pm

I've been to the Volkswagen Autostadt in Wolfsburg, the 'carpark' structure you refer to is a really amazing thing to see. The cars look like little toys as they're taken up to the top floor and slid in to their spaces.

It's really worth a visit, also for the museum which has some really interesting displays such as a tunnel pumped with smoke that measures the temperature and displays a heat sensitive video of you walking through it. A good day trip!

Editor Bob

Nov 2 2007, 12:43 pm

Saltanat, the automated garage that you are referring to is this one: Robotic car park system at Munich's Donnersbergerbrücke.

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