The museum built in 1961, had through years of structural alterations and a cluttered, outmoded exhibition space reached a state of negligence that left little trace of the one-time pride and joy of the Stuttgart automobile company. The centenary of the automobile in 1986 sparked off the idea for fundamental revival. The vital spatial extension was realized by changing both inner courtyards into covered light courts providing more generous access for the public across ramps, stairs, footbridges.