The site now includes a paint booth and an engine test bench, with around 70 experts working across six specialist trades.
Mercedes-Benz has opened its enlarged Classic Center in Fellbach, a site the company says covers some 18,000 square metres. The site includes approximately 10,000 square metres of workshop space, staffed by around 70 experts. The company describes the centre as the world's largest restoration, servicing and repair business for classic Mercedes-Benz cars.
The expanded Classic Center opened last weekend, following extensive refurbishment and the addition of a further property next to the established main site. The company says the enlarged premises now cover some 18,000 square metres.
The work on offer runs from maintenance and repairs to full factory restorations, vehicle trading, expert assessments and Classic Genuine Parts. The site includes approximately 10,000 square metres of workshop space, and around 70 experts work there.
At the opening, Sandra Button, long-standing chairwoman of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, received the Mercedes-Benz Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award. Marcus Breitschwerdt, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH and an executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz AG, presented it. He said the expansion marks a milestone for the heritage business and reflects the brand's commitment to quality, its history and the future.
A bigger site and new equipment
The extra property lets the company reorganise its workflows and give each division more room. Six specialist trades now cover all work on classic Mercedes-Benz cars, and complete factory restorations can be carried out in-house. New equipment includes a paint booth, an engine test bench and specialised machines for metalworking and for processing engine components.
Staffing has grown too. Experienced specialists are passing on their skills to young professionals who finished training in modern automotive trades, and those trainees work alongside them for an extended period under mentoring programmes. Capacity has also been added for vehicle trading and the supply of replacement parts.
Archive knowledge and the manufacturer's assessment
Restoration work draws on original technical documents, design data and background material from the Mercedes-Benz Group Archives, which the company describes as among the biggest private business archives. The manufacturer's expert assessment is a joint product of the Classic Center and the archives. It rates a car's originality and condition on the basis of research on the vehicle and in the archives, and the company says collectors and the trade recognise it.
The Classic Center has also supported Mercedes-Benz's own historic collection for decades. That collection now has more than 1,100 vehicles, from historic Grand Prix racing cars to end-of-production models. Private owners can now draw on the same expertise for older classics and for modern classics such as the SLK (R 170), the first CLS (C 219) and the R-Class (model series 251).
Parts are a core responsibility. The company manages around 160,000 Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts, built to original factory specifications, and says most replacement and wear parts can generally be delivered within 24 hours through its worldwide network. With the expansion, the restructuring of the classic vehicle division is complete. Since 2023, Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH has brought the museum, the Classic Center, the vehicle collection, parts, vehicle trading, brand clubs and the global Classic Partner network under one company.
