MTUS

The dream of autonomous movement, independent of human and animal energy, is as old as the history of mankind. Its first expressions are lost in antiquity and are reflected in art, poetry and literature.
The exhibits on display show how the theme of ‘automobility’ has taken shape, starting with the invention of the wheel. With the swift development of technology from the third century BC onwards, this dream, which was already present in the culture of ancient Greece, has evolved into clear visions and eventually has become real. It is no longer a sort of intelligence-will that moves objects: they advance although the wheels are neither pushed nor pulled. The idea that the horse may not be the only source of energy for land travels is the common thread of the vehicles on display. In thirteen stages, they take the visitor on an ideal journey that begins in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC and ends with Karl Benz’s automobile in 1886. In between, there are extraordinary projects, which, from time to time, spring from intuitions destined to become a turning point in the field of automobility.