MUSEUM OF AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY

The Salamanca Museum of Automotive History is located in the Plaza del Mercado Viejo (Old Market Square), next to the Tormes river, in the section between the Roman Bridge and the Enrique Estevan Bridge. It occupies a building that was Salamanca's second electricity production plant.

THE BUILDINGS The MHAS is located in one of the city's most emblematic areas, on the right bank of the Tormes river and very close to the Roman Bridge. On the site it occupies, the ancient Romanesque church of San Nicolás de Bari was built, which in the 16th century housed the first anatomical dissection room in Spain, linked to the University's Faculty of Medicine. Visible remains of this building can be seen in the lower levels of a nearby residential building.

The MHAS complex consists of two buildings. The first is a late 19th-century construction that originally functioned as a tannery for hide curing and was later transformed into Salamanca's second power plant, known ever since as La Fábrica de Luz (The Light Factory). It comprises two adjoining naves occupying an area of over 1,000 square meters. The left nave has been restored, respecting its original structure, becoming a magnificent example of the industrial construction techniques of the era, visible at the end of the exhibition tour.

The second is a new, innovatively designed building, a work by architect José Elías Díez. It consists of three rooms, each 1,150 square meters, where the permanent exhibition is installed.

THE MUSEUM The Salamanca Museum of Automotive History was one of the first museums in Spain dedicated to Automotive History. It arose from the collaboration between Demetrio Gómez Planche, the owner of many of the automobiles exhibited in the museum, and the Salamanca City Council. It was inaugurated in late September 2002 by the Kings of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Sofía.

The museum exhibits the collection of Demetrio Gómez Planche, a former technical architect, who, with the help of his family, gathered all kinds of automobiles, motorcycles, documents, and accessories related to the automotive world for over 40 years. Contributions from the Directorate General of Traffic, the Iveco-Pegaso Historical Center, and other public and private donations were added to Gómez Planche's collection.

Its holdings treasure more than 200 historic automobiles, some unique, as well as thousands of accessories related to the automobile. Additionally, it boasts a library with over 3,000 volumes and approximately 5,000,000 documents.

Among the 140 exhibited pieces —which rotate periodically among the approximately 240 that make up the collection— visitors can admire true gems of automotive history. Noteworthy is the tricycle patented in 1885 by the German engineer Karl Benz, considered the first vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine. Also on display are an elegant 1922 Rolls‑Royce Silver Ghost, a Cadillac Fleetwood 75 that belonged to Francisco Franco, and, as the star piece of the collection, a 1930 Hispano‑Suiza preserved in its original condition, as it has never required restoration.

The Salamanca Museum of Automotive History houses one of the most complete and valuable collections in the country. More than 140 vehicles on permanent display, along with thousands of parts, accessories, and objects related to the automotive world, allow visitors to explore the technical, aesthetic, and cultural evolution of this invention that transformed modern life. The permanent collection is based on two fundamental pillars: the Gómez Planche collection, the origin of the museum, and the historical collection of the General Directorate of Traffic, supplemented by contributions from individuals, institutions, and national and international patrons.

ENTRANCE
As soon as the visit begins, the museum invites visitors to learn about the Gómez Planche family, the soul of the project. Photographs, personal objects, and curious pieces —such as a silver model of a Ferrari made by a Salamanca jeweler— help to understand their passion for motoring. Among the most endearing items is a small yellow pedal car: the Three Kings' gift that Demetrio Gómez Planche received when he was just five years old.

ROOM I · PREHISTORY OF THE AUTOMOBILE
Before cars as we know them existed, there were centuries of ingenuity, experiments, and dreams of achieving a machine that could move on its own. This room shows that fascinating path prior to modern automotive technology.

• Aeolipile of Heron of Alexandria (2nd century BC): a small steam-powered machine which, although simple, is considered the first artifact capable of generating autonomous movement.

• Spinta dal Vento Machine by Giovanni Fontana (1420): a wind-propelled vehicle, an example of how imagination sought alternatives to animal power.

• Leonardo da Vinci's Gear Vehicle: a display of Leonardo's visionary talent, who imagined mechanisms that would be centuries ahead of their time.

• Cugnot's “Fire Carriage” (1770): the first self-propelled vehicle in history. This marks the end of this stage prior to the birth of the modern automobile.

ROOM II · THE PROTOHISTORY Here the adventure of the automobile truly begins. Inventors began to replace steam with internal combustion engines, which ran on benzine, a product then bought in pharmacies. Although horse-drawn carriages still dominated the streets, the revolution was already underway. Highlighted pieces:

• Benz Tricycle (1885), considered the first automobile in history.

• Plans for Daimler's vehicle, a precursor to what would later become Mercedes-Benz.

• Renault Quadricycle (1898), the first car built by Louis Renault when he was just 21 years old.

ROOM III · HIGH TRANSITION (1899–1935)
This stage is one of the most exciting: the automobile ceases to be an experimental invention to become a real product. Manufacturers emerged throughout Europe and America, and wealthy families began to exchange their carriages for cars.

The great leap came with Henry Ford, who in 1908 launched the Ford T and, a few years later, introduced assembly line manufacturing. Thanks to this, cars became cheaper and reached many more people. The model exhibited in the museum was reconstructed piece by piece by Gómez Planche after locating its components in different scrapyards.

Other highlighted pieces:

• Hispano-Suiza Granada 60, a symbol of Spanish motoring.

• Historic vehicles such as Rolls-Royce, Don Jaime de Borbón's Amilcar racing car, Hispano-Suiza, Berliet models, and the Citroën 5 used by Alfonso XII when he was a prince.

• Demetrio Gómez's bodywork workshop, where the first welding machine in Castile and León is preserved.

**** ROOM IV · LOW TRANSITION (1935–1950)****
The Second World War profoundly marked this stage. The lack of materials and economic difficulties forced the manufacture of smaller, more practical, and affordable cars. Fiat models are a good example of how the industry adapted to complicated times.

ROOM V · INTEGRATED STAGE (1950–1970)
After the war, automotive design entered a stage of modernity: more integrated bodywork, aerodynamic lines, and greater comfort. Many of the vehicles exhibited in this room stand out not only for their design but also for the stories behind them.

Among them:

• Cadillac “El Dorado”, used to receive movie stars and bullfighters at the airport.
• Two cars belonging to Carmen Polo: a Citroën DS-23 “Shark” for the city and a Mercedes 450 for long trips.
• A Fernando Alonso Formula 1 car.
• Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela's Jaguar.