Mercedes-Benz opens expanded Classic Center in Fellbach on 16 October 2026, workshop space doubled to 10,000 sq m

Mercedes-Benz inaugurated its rebuilt and extended Classic Center at Fellbach, near Stuttgart, on 16 October 2026. The official release from Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH puts the site at roughly 18,000 sq m in total, of which about 10,000 sq m is workshop, staffed by around 70 specialists. The company describes it as the world's largest restoration, servicing and repair operation for classic cars carrying the three-pointed star.

The number that matters for owners is the doubling. German reports on the opening say workshop area has gone from roughly 5,000 sq m to about 10,000 sq m, after a second property next to the existing site was taken on. Six trades now sit under one roof, covering bodywork, engines, metal shaping, trim, paint and parts. New to the site are a paint booth and an engine test bench, plus machinery for shaping sheet metal and machining engine components.

What the capacity actually buys

Fellbach has been the Classic Center's home since 1993, so this is an expansion rather than a new address. The equipment list from the opening gives a sense of scale: 22 hydraulic lifts, 15 ground-level work bays and three heavy-duty lifts rated at 4.5 and 6.5 tonnes. Up to four full factory restorations can run in parallel.

That last figure is the honest one. Factory restoration is slow. A complete factory rebuild of a 300 SL takes around 18 months, with the bodywork alone absorbing up to 1,600 hours. At the other end of the menu, a German roadworthiness test package starts at 355 euros, with weekly appointment slots. Parts supply is the quiet backbone, about 160,000 Mercedes-Benz Classic genuine parts covering 57 model lines, with a separate warehouse of 20,000 storage locations.

The expansion also absorbed outside expertise. Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH bought the specialist firm Kienle on 1 February 2024 after its insolvency, taking on parts stock, special tools, the customer base and part of the workforce. Around 25 of the roughly 70 staff at Fellbach come from Kienle. Heritage GmbH turns over a three-digit million euro figure and is profitable, according to its CEO Marcus Breitschwerdt. At the opening ceremony, Sandra Button, the long-serving chairwoman of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, received the Mercedes-Benz Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award.

Why an Indian owner should care

India has a deep stock of old Mercedes-Benz cars, from Fintails and W123s to the SLs and S-Classes in private collections. What it does not have is a factory heritage department. The practical value of Fellbach for an Indian owner is less about shipping a car to Germany and more about two things that travel well: genuine classic parts, and the manufacturer's expert assessment, a documented report on a car's originality and condition that Classic Center technicians prepare using original drawings and archive material. On the concours circuit, that paperwork is often the difference between a nice old car and a provable one.

The nearest Indian test of that stock comes soon. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally, organised by Autocar India, is listed for 21 November 2026 at Taj Lands End in Mumbai, with gates at 10:30 am and tickets from ₹749. The entry list promised includes a 300Sc and a Pebble Beach winning 630K. Cars like those are exactly the sort that keep a 10,000 sq m workshop in Germany busy.

Sources

• A new chapter begins: Mercedes-Benz opens extensively expanded Classic Center in Fellbach (Mercedes-Benz Club of America, official release)
• Inizia un nuovo capitolo: Mercedes-Benz inaugura a Fellbach il Classic Center rinnovato e ampliato (Mercedes-Benz Italia media)
• Mercedes eroeffnet neues Classic Center: Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen (Motor1 Germany)
• Oldtimer-Standort in Fellbach: Doppelt so grosse Werkstatt, mehr Angebote (Stuttgarter Zeitung)
• Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally 2026 tickets and date (District)