Germany’s Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection has opened a major new special exhibition dedicated to the world of rallying, bringing together some of the most iconic competition cars ever to tackle asphalt, gravel, snow and desert stages.
Titled Rallye Legends – A Time Journey on Asphalt, Gravel and Snow, the exhibition opened on March 28 and transforms the museum’s industrial-era halls into a chronological exploration of rallying’s evolution, from early Monte Carlo Rally entrants to the fire-breathing Group B era, Dakar Rally machinery and modern World Rally Championship icons.
The exhibition includes 35 significant competition vehicles spanning nearly a century of motorsport history. Among them are celebrated machines such as the Lancia Stratos, Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, Ford RS200, Lancia Delta S4 and Subaru Impreza WRC. The museum has also incorporated Dakar Rally and Pikes Peak machinery into the display, broadening the exhibition beyond traditional stage rallying.
Equally notable is the roster of drivers associated with the exhibition’s cars. Names represented include Walter Röhrl, Michèle Mouton, Carlos Sainz, Henri Toivonen, Ari Vatanen and Sébastien Loeb.
Rather than presenting the vehicles as static design objects, the museum’s curatorial approach places emphasis on the people, engineering breakthroughs and changing eras that shaped rallying’s identity. Museum founder Friedhelm Lohdescribed rallying as one of motorsport’s most complete disciplines because of the need for drivers, co-drivers, engineers and service crews to adapt constantly to changing surfaces and conditions.
The exhibition follows the museum’s previous Grand Prix – Icons of the Elite Class display and continues the institution’s rise as one of Europe’s more ambitious automotive museums. Opened in 2023 on a restored industrial site in the German state of Hesse, the museum now houses approximately 160 vehicles across 11 exhibition halls and gallery spaces. The permanent collection ranges from pre-war automobiles and Grand Prix cars to Le Mans winners, prototypes and modern supercars.
For travelers exploring Germany’s automotive landscape, the museum’s location in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach places it within reach of several enthusiast destinations including the Nürburgring, Frankfurt and Cologne. The museum has increasingly become a stopover point for classic-car rallies and road-trip itineraries crossing central Europe.
To accompany the exhibition, the museum has also partnered with Motorbuch-Verlag on a bilingual companion book featuring photography, historical context and technical stories tied to the cars on display. Written by motorsport author Jörg Walz and featuring a foreword by rally co-driver Christian Geistdörfer, the publication is available in both German and English.
Since opening less than three years ago, the Nationales Automuseum says it has welcomed more than 230,000 visitors and built an international following through both its exhibitions and growing social media presence.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Event: Rallye Legends – A Time Journey on Asphalt, Gravel and Snow
Venue:Â Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection
Location: Museumsstraße 1, 35716 Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach, Germany
Exhibition Opens:Â March 28, 2026
Expected Duration:Â Through March 2027
Nearest Major Airports:Â Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
Nearby Automotive Destinations:Â NĂĽrburgring, Frankfurt, Cologne, Audi Forum Ingolstadt
Museum Collection:Â Approximately 160 vehicles spanning 1885 to present day
Website:Â Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection
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