Motor Museums in Schramberg, Germany (1) - The Steim Automobile Collection
Written by Guus Docen
Schramberg is a town situated in the eastern Black Forest. As with many other black forest communities, industrialisation began in Schramberg in the 19th century. In 1861 the Junghans clock factory was founded in Schramberg. At the beginning of the 20th century Junghans became the biggest clock factory worldwide with 3000 employees. The founder of the Steim car collection is the entrepreneur Hans-Jochem Steim from Schramberg. Steim is no stranger to the watch industry or the company, having made his fortune through a business manufacturing high precision springs, which had been supplying Nivarox hairsprings to Junghans since the 1930s. Steim, already enthusiastic about automobiles from his youth, bought his first vintage car (a 1928 Ford model A) in the United States in 1977. Gradually, numerous vehicles from various automobile manufacturers from 1902 to the present day were added to his collection.