Volkswagen Group: Autostadt completes successful year in 2017 with a record number of visitors in a single month

One of every four new Volkswagens sold in Germany delivered at the Autostadt

The Autostadt reconfirmed its position as the leading automotive destination in 2017 with 142,770 vehicles delivered to customers (2016: 152,065). The total market share of all Volkswagen cars delivered to customers in Germany in 2017 remained stable at 24.9% (2016: 25.1% adjusted).

Summer and winter programmes a major attraction for visitors

“The two big seasonal events, Cirque Nouveau in summer and Winter Wonderland, have become permanent fixtures for our visitors. As new managing directors, it is only logical to continue these programmes in 2018 and further develop them for our guests”, says Managing Director Claudius Colsman. In its second year, the summer festival attracted 340,000 visitors. Attendance at the shows was well above the debut year with more than 135,000 tickets booked. This winter, more than 490,000 people visited the Autostadt (from 1 December to 7 January) – a significant increase over the previous year, when 415,000 guests came to the Autostadt during a much longer event timeframe.

Movimentos Festival well attended with 94% occupancy rate

The 15th Movimentos Festival presented by the Autostadt thrilled some 23,000 visitors in spring of 2017 and was again very well attended with 94% of the tickets sold. In a series of 50 events, artists and audiences from all over the world focused on “Freedom” as the main theme. The programme for the 2018 festival (4 April to 6 May) will be presented by Movimentos artistic director Bernd Kauffmann and the two Autostadt managing directors at a press conference on 25 January 2018.

Autostadt educational programmes again awarded

In November 2017, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, together with the German UNESCO Commission, honoured the Autostadt educational programmes. According to a statement by the judges: “As an automotive theme park and ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) extracurricular learning centre, the Autostadt offers innovative ESD courses supplementing lesson plans for all school types and grade levels based on the Lower Saxony Mobility Curriculum. Special credit is given for the Autostadt’s objectives to discuss issues of future mobility with students and bring ESD from project to structure.” In the past year, the Autostadt educational programmes reached more than 500,000 participants for the first time (previous year 440,000). As in previous years, the majority of participants attended open courses, which do not require prior registration.

Autostadt restaurants continue development of manufactory concept

For many years, Autostadt restaurant guests have been enjoying organic bread, ice cream and pasta made with ingredients predominantly sourced from the region and orientated to the seasons. The restaurants further expanded the artisanal manufactory concept in 2017. A spice developed exclusively for the Beefclub restaurant was introduced by the Lebensbaum company, Senfmühle in Einbeck created the Autostadt “Küchenmeistersenf” mustard, and the winter market served its own winter beer produced in cooperation with the Einbecker Brewery. Along with enjoyment and high quality standards for the products, communication with guests is a main focus for the restaurants. Guided tours featuring the manufactories were fully booked in 2017 as was the “FINE FOOD” culinary evening in October.

The Ritz-Carlton: Aqua restaurant receives three stars for the tenth year in a row

The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg located in the Autostadt marked a very successful year in 2017. Outstanding for the luxury hotel industry, the occupancy rate averaged around 72% (previous year: 69.5%). New formats such as the wedding trade fair “YES” and the Terra kitchen brunch clearly appealed to guests. The established series of events, such as the Vinters’ Dinner, was also very popular. Once again this year, the Aqua restaurant was honoured for culinary excellence: Chef Sven Elverfeld and his team were awarded 19.5 points by Gault Millau and for the tenth year in a row received three stars in the Guide MICHELIN.

Outlook 2018

“Here in the Autostadt Claudius Colsman and I have taken on one of the most exciting tasks in the Volkswagen Group. We would like to express our thanks to Otto F. Wachs, who developed this place into the world’s leading automotive platform. Together with a highly motivated team, we now have the opportunity to take the Autostadt to the next phase in order to strengthen the presentation of current and future themes to our guests at this unique location,” explains Autostadt CEO, Roland Clement.

Selected highlights in 2017

January

• The KinderLounge (children’s lounge) operated by the Autostadt celebrates its 15th year
• The Autostadt opens the 2017 classic car year with an exhibition stand at the Bremen Classic Motorshow

February

• Philosopher Richard David Precht is a guest speaker in the Autostadt educational discussion series with the topic “The Digital Revolution”
• The Autostadt presents its educational programme at “didacta” – the world’s largest education fair – in Stuttgart

March

• “Formula 1 at School”, a multidisciplinary student competition, takes place in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Pavilion
• The Autostadt appears at the ITB in Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade fair
• CES@Autostadt – VW highlights from the technology fair are presented to visitors in the Volkswagen Pavilion
• Earth Hour – The Autostadt participates in the WWF World Earth Hour and turns off the lights
• Exclusive mustard speciality for the Autostadt – Einbecker Senfmühle creates “Küchenmeistersenf” together with the Autostadt restaurants

April

• Autostadt presents designers and their legendary creations at the Techno-Classica vintage car show in Essen
• Dual Year Mexico-Germany – a new exhibition in the Autostadt Design Display features two works focusing on Mexico
• The Movimentos Festival opens in the KraftWerk with the German premiere of “La Fresque” by French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj highlighting the “Freedom” theme

May

• Sixteen Volkswagens are handed over at the Autostadt to those responsible for the Reformation anniversary
• Movimentos: 23,000 guests attended this year’s festival

June

• Le Mans Myth – an exclusive talk show opens a new photo exhibition in the ZeitHaus
• The new ŠKODA Kodiaq is made available for testing on the Autostadt All-Terrain Track; a special test drive campaign with the new Volkswagen Arteon delights visitors
• The IdeenExpo in Hanover opens with a huge Autostadt appearance for interested participants

July

• The second edition of the Cirque Nouveau summer festival kicks off in the Autostadt with international artists and a comprehensive guest participation programme
• The Volkswagen E-Roadshow comes to the Autostadt and presents a comprehensive preview of e-mobility

August

• The Classic Days at Schloss Dyck and the VW Bus Festival in Wolfsburg are two classic-car summer highlights for the Autostadt
• The Autostadt is once again a stage finish stop for the Hamburg Berlin Klassik, North Germany’s biggest classic car rally
• Elisabeth Pötsch christens the Autostadt’s new solar catamaran with the name “Aluna”, which was selected in an online vote
• Autostadt CEO Otto F. Wachs leaves the Autostadt. Hans Dieter Pötsch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller speak at a reception in his honour at the ZeitHaus

September

• Roland Clement and Claudius Colsman assume management responsibilities for the Autostadt in Wolfsburg
• Street performers and acrobats from all over the world delight audiences with “Streetlife” themed performances on Lower Saxony Day in Wolfsburg
• The youth conference for UNESCO project schools takes place in the Autostadt
• The “Golf-Bähnle” train is restored by the Autostadt and for the first time in 14 years, is used for city tours in Wolfsburg

October

• As part of the city friendship between Wolfsburg and Toyohashi, Japanese master chef Takeshi Ito and Daniel Kluge present a crossover menu in the Chardonnay restaurant
• The Autostadt appears at the citizens’ festival on the day of the German unity in Mainz
• Bioland presents awards for four bread varieties produced by “Das Brot.” in the Autostadt
• 750 guests have a chance to meet 40 Autostadt restaurant suppliers at the “FINE FOOD” culinary evening and enjoy dishes prepared by the Autostadt chefs

November

• The Aqua restaurant with chef Sven Elverfeld is awarded with the highest rating of three stars in the Guide MICHELIN for the tenth consecutive year
• As part of the Autostadt educational discussion series, author Marco Wehr, his daughter, and journalist Reinhard Kahl talk about the impact of digitalization on younger generations

December

• The Autostadt supports World AIDS Day for the tenth consecutive year to draw attention to the immune deficiency disease
• The Autostadt brings the historic Büssing bus back to the Mittelland Canal
• The first Volkswagen T-Roc is delivered in the Autostadt CustomerCenter
• The Winter Wonderland opens in the Autostadt and delights more than 400,000 guests by the end of the year – best month in the history of the Autostadt

About the Autostadt in Wolfsburg – The world’s leading automotive destination
As a communications platform for the Volkswagen Group, the Autostadt in Wolfsburg focuses on the Volkswagen corporate values and all aspects of mobility in line with the theme: “People, cars and what moves them.” The theme park and educational centre have attracted more than 37 million visitors since the official opening in 2000, making the Autostadt one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany. The Autostadt is also the world’s largest new car delivery centre and home to the multi-brand ZeitHaus car museum. Featuring a variety of cultural events, including the annual Movimentos Festival, the Autostadt is a well-known international meeting place for culture enthusiasts.