Autoblog

Tucked away in a green, waterfall-riven valley between Akureyri and Husavik, Iceland is the hamlet of Ystafell (who-stuh-fel is the closest we can get to proper pronunciation). Akureyri has some of the best nightlife in Iceland, while Husavik has whales and a museum dedicated to things unmentionable on a family site. That leaves the Transport Museum at Ystafell practically unnoticed, which is a shame, because features two barns full of unlikely vehicles, each with an authentic Icelandic story. Follow the jump for the tale of our recent visit, and check out the gallery of hi-res photos below.

Click above for a gallery of screen shots.

BMW is gearing up for the online unveiling of its latest design study, the GINA Light Visionary Model. Unlike the BMW M1 Homage concept, this one's actually a runner, as evidenced by the video posted below the fold, showing the concept being driven from the studio into a car carrier then unloaded at the BMW Museum in Munich.

No details about the roadster are available from the BMW-web.tv site, but judging by the open cockpit and massive width, we're expecting something akin the M1, sans roof and sporting many of the design cues found on the homage. Check back for more when the BMW GINA Light Visionary Concept is unveiled on June 10th.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany is now home to more than just automobiles. The museum has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for creating the "strongest artificially generated tornado in the world." The 34.4 meter high (that is 37.2 yards to those metrically challenged) vortex was not designed as an attraction, but to channel smoke out of the building in the event of a fire. The architecture wonderment that is the museum did not make use of any fire doors in the design (surely they would get in the way of the architect's vision). In order to meet regulations, the building engineers had to determine a way to keep smoke from spreading beyond the fire level, the tornado is the resulting solution. The twister takes around seven minutes to materialize and is generated by 144 jets and 28 tons of air. The low pressure area at the center of the tornado works to create a jet stream that draws smoke out of the building's corridors and funnels it upwards and out an exhaust vent on the roof. Check the gallery for photos of a carbon dioxide infused tornado demonstration.

Check out the video of Mercedes' artificial tornado after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Every museum has to try new promotions and gimmicks to keep patrons coming through the turnstyle, and automotive shrines are no different. Traveling shows, special events featuring a particular brand or model, or hands-on events have worked, but the A.A.C.A. Museum in Hershey, Pa has taken a creative approach to increasing attendance.

The A.A.C.A has over $10 million worth vintage cars, and adult males comprise a large percentage of visitors. To draw a more diverse demographic, the museum has launched a successful campaign to get women and children in the doors. One promotion invited Girl Scouts to camp overnight at the museum, while learning how to perform maintenance on cars. The A.A.C.A. also hosted clinics on automotive detailing, which is a big hit with owners of vintage vehicles who often spend big dollars getting their classics prepped before car shows. Another unique event brought 350 visitors to the roof of the museum to watch "Madman Muntz: American Maverick" being projected onto the side of a building while hot dogs and popcorn were being served.

We like car museums as much as the next auto-obsessed blogger, and the A.A.C.A. has some great ideas to increase foot traffic. Now to get the kids over to Hershey so they can learn how to change the oil.

[Source: NY Times]

The rise of niche carmakers has given those with longer pedigrees -- say more than five years, at this point -- compelling reasons to start showing off their heritage. Audi, with nearly a century of history behind it, has an Audi Tradition center near its Ingolstadt headquarters, and a writer at Fourtitude just took a tour and posted plenty of pics. Among the treasures were the usual suspects -- Auto Unions in various states of assembly, Quattros, and race cars. There's also, though, a DKW Monza, motorcycles from sub-brand NSU, engines, the second generation sportback TT concept, 50 S and 100 S Coupes, and a whole lot more. The collection has more than 300 cars, and Fourtitude's got 233 photos. There should be a desktop tour like this every Saturday.

[Source: Fourtitude]

click above image for a photo your of the National Corvette Museum

April 26-28, 2007, hundreds of Corvette owners flocked to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky. The occasion was the C5-C6 Bash, a festival celebrating the latest two versions of the American sports car that started it all. Corvette-ifosi were also there to witness the unveiling of the 2008 Corvette and register their approval or approbation. When not ogling the new car or any of the hundreds of other souped up Corvettes that made the journey, Bash-goers could wander the halls and pay homage to Zora Arkus-Duntov's remains, which are kept behind glass in a wall in the museum. And that's only the beginning.

Click through the jump to read the story and do yourself a favor by viewing the high-res gallery, which as good a guided tour as your're going to get without visiting the National Corvette Museum yourself.

Friday marked the first day of business for the brand new Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The old museum closed its doors on March 18th after a career as one of the world's most visited corporate museums. The new museum's architecture is based on the design of a double helix. Visitors are taken to the top of the building via a lift and presented with two tour routes that take them down nine stories of Mercedes history and memorabilia. The end of each route is marked by the "Silver Arrows – Races and Records" display, a banked curve that turns into a cylindrical wall to which many record-breaking cars in motorsports history have been affixed.

Check out more pics and descriptions of what each floor has to offer at the link.

[Source: Classic Driver]

Motorcycle company Harley-Davidson has announced plans to build a museum in its hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Construction is to commence some time this spring.

According to director Stacey Watson, displays planned include the 1903 Harley-Davidson’s serial number 1 cycle and Elvis Presley’s 1956 Harley-Davidson KH. Posters, clothing and other colorful items from the company’s collection will also be featured. No word if a suitably clothed Ford F-Series will make the scene.

The museum is expected to open in 2008.

[Source: Associated Press via the Milwaukee Post-Gazette]