I visited ‘Mercedes-Benz World’ at Brooklands, in Surrey, last week. Think mega-dealer, museum, theme park crossover. It’s a kind of ‘brand cathedral’ – well, a mini one compared with what they have in Stuttgart, but it’s still pretty impressive.
It’s right next to the Brooklands Museum, so if you are ever planning a visit for a browse, you could easily combine the two.
While I was there they let us have a go on the ‘AMG Experience’ and that was well worth putting an hour aside for. Most fun I have had this year and you just can’t get bored with the traction control off and 6.2 litre-V8 power going through the rear wheels on the wet skid circle.
The events listing caught my eye, too. I quite fancy the ‘Last Night of the Brooklands Proms’; might be fun on a summer evening after a few glasses of vino. If they have fireworks too, I’m going for definite and dusting off the Union Jack jacket. I’m not so sure about the ‘Disco Symphonic Spectacular’…
One thing though. I’d love to know how much M-B World has cost and what the view is inside Daimler HQ on the benefits it has brought to the Mercedes brand in the UK. It’s a long game, I guess. And it is also something that BMW doesn’t have in this market. Is BMW bothered?
COMMENT: UK industry needs to sell itself better, starting with UK Gov
