Inside the World’s Greatest Classic Car Collections – Part 12: Friedhelm Loh
20 June 2025 2 min read 4 images
Photo credit: Nationale Auto Museum - The Loh Collection
Friedhelm Loh nurtured his passion for mechanics, history, and automotive engineering from an early age, beginning to collect cars long before the classic car sector became an investment proposition. Over the decades he built an extraordinary collection guided by one simple but uncompromising principle: acquire only cars capable of telling an important chapter in the history of the motor car. Among the most remarkable examples are a 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Sport Tourer, the extremely rare Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, and the Maybach Exelero concept — a one-of-one. Italian flair is well represented too, with a Lamborghini Countach LP 400 and a Ferrari 412 P that raced at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967, and finished third at Daytona as part of that spectacular three-Ferrari formation finish.
The Ferrari section also takes in icons such as the F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari, to name just a few. Equally compelling are the many single-seaters that belonged to Formula 1 champions including Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Niki Lauda, alongside the Prancing Horse's F1 machines that captured World Championship titles with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen. Taken together, these cars tell more than a century of technical, sporting, and stylistic evolution. The collection holds 12th place in The Key's prestigious global Top 100 Ranking.
This passion for engineering and the automobile has clearly shaped Friedhelm Loh's spectacular international success as an entrepreneur: the Friedhelm Loh Group is a global operation that has made him one of the most influential business figures in the world.
The Nationale Automuseum – The Loh Collection, which opened in 2023 in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach in the Hessian region of Germany, sits roughly 120 kilometres from Frankfurt. The calibre of the collection is underlined by the recognition it has earned in recent years: in 2025 the museum claimed the prestigious "President of the Jury Award" at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este with a 1930 Bentley Speed Six, and was awarded the FIA Founding Members' Club Heritage Cup — prizes that confirm its cultural and historical standing on the world stage.
The permanent display is enriched by temporary exhibitions dedicated to specific themes in automotive history. Running until March 2027, "Rally Legends" celebrates some of the most important cars in rallying history, from the legendary Group B machines through to modern WRC Championship contenders, with the Dakar Rally given its due as well. The presentation itself contributes to the experience: cars are not simply placed on show but treated as genuine works of art, allowing visitors to appreciate their technical details, their lines, and their historical context. The result is a museum that draws in both the seasoned enthusiast and the first-time visitor to car culture. For those planning a trip, admission to the permanent collection costs 21 euros, while combined access including the temporary exhibition is available at 28 euros. For any motoring enthusiast this is an unmissable destination — not only for the quality of the cars on display, but because it tells an increasingly rare story: that of a collector who, after dedicating a lifetime to tracking down the finest masterpieces of world motorsport, chose to share them with everyone. Thank you, Friedhelm Loh!
