CV Claus Mueller
Claus Mueller, born in 1961 in Munich, was one of the pioneers of the classic car hobby in Germany. In 1986 he began to organize events for classic car enthusiasts. His work had an important influence to the classic car hobby in Germany. His major event, the “CLASSIC MOBIL” took place in Munich’s world famous Olympic Hall from 1993 to 2006, being the second of the large classic car fairs in Germany. Also numerous other events, like rallies, model car fairs and special interest tours for classic car enthusiasts filled Mueller’s schedule over the years.
On more than 60 trips to the United States including 16 visits of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Mueller learned a lot about the american and international classic car scene. Many contacts to individuals, together with visits of various classic car events and museums all over the world, Mueller soon became an international expert in the classic car hobby.
Today he is not only writing for the German issue of OCTANE magazine (one of the finest classic car publications in the world), but he also serves as a lobbyist for the classic car hobby in Berlin.
To get a more of a global picture, he travelled many times to various countries around the World, again gaining more experience and knowledge. His list of International Vintage & Classic Car enthusiasts contacts grew and grew with every Classic Car event, e.g., Hungary, Italy (including Sicily) England, Switzerland, Austria, France, Mexico as well as South America and Australia, finally to Iran, India, Kuwait and Egypt.
Claus Mueller had always recognised a significant place for new facets in the Vintage & Classic Car scene (the so called ‘Young-Timers’), but members and press experts of the Vintage & Classic Car scene often rejected this opinion. Thinking for the future, Mueller saw place for Young & Old-timers alike to share events, and at the same time introducing young blood into the family. Due to Mueller’s perseverance and determination and with the support of Stuttgart’s Motor Press, who were already publishing a magazine for newcomers to the scene titled ‘Young-Timer’, he finally managed to convince the Members & Press experts. Today, thanks to him and many others, the involvement and recognition of Young-Timers have become a significant and refreshing change to the Vintage & Classic Car scene.
Mueller noticing that at all his events the majority of visitors were single men and very few families. He asked some guests and soon found out that many would come but, “Someone has to look after the baby!” so he immediately introduced and offered a playing area at each of his future shows. And with great success, within a very short time his events became real family days out. Bernd Wieland, editor in chief of Germany’s classic car magazine “Motor Klassik”, was so impressed that he made a point of placing an article in his editorial. Consequently Claus Mueller wrote his first children’s book, a story about a 1959 Porsche tractor and it’s everyday life on the farm, selling an impressive 10, 000 copies in Germany and the USA alone.
As an author, Mueller also wrote many travel guides e.g. California, San Francisco, Mallorca as well as a Motor-Home travel guide, ‘USA West’. As a photographer he not only delivered most of the photographs for his own books but also for numerous other travel guides (e.g. Venice, Prague, Munich, Mallorca etc.).
Back in 2002, Mueller took part in the legendary ‘La Carrera Panamericana” rally in Mexico, driving a 1965 Mercedes 200 “Fintail”, together with co-pilot Peter Steinfurt, the Chief Editor of the magazine ‘OLDTIMER MARKT’. Unquestionably and a without a doubt this was the turning point in Mueller’s classic car hobby days, triggering off and setting the milestone for his new found passion, of unusual and exceptional vintage & classic car rallies and events.
The big change in Mueller’s career came in the beginning of 2011, where he decided to sell his event ‘Oldtimertage Fuerstenfeld’ (promoted and organised by Mueller since 2005), and at last turn his attention to and tackle a long-time planned international book project, whereby Mueller’s numerous international contacts are to play a major role.
With all his connections, contacts, experience and travel Mueller had an idea that was almost inevitable to happen, an idea to organise & promote vintage & classic car rallies in exotic countries. Under the title ‘Classic Motoring Challenge’, he envisaged a program of tours & rallies taking place in, e.g. South Africa, Costa Rica and – as a beginning - the ROYAL RAJASTHAN in India.
Since 2014 Mueller is part of the writing staff of the german issue of OCTANE magazine, as well as a member of the “Parlamentskreis Automobiles Kulturgut” , a group of insiders who serve as lobbyists for the classic car hobby (a market sequence which is as big as about 14 billion Euros per year in Germany alone!) with the german government. He is also a founding member of the "Initiative Automobile Kultur e. V." an organisation for getting automotive culture officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage.
In 2015 Mueller became the german Representative Ambassador for the “21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally & Concours Show” (New Delhi). He also was responsible for “The Pakistani Truck Art Project” in which artists from Pakistan painted his 1965 Mercedes 200 Fintail with traditional and colourful Pakistani Truck Art as a sign of international awareness and understanding. He earned a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ambassador of Pakistan for this.
In 2016 Mueller traveled to India frequently to explore the Indian classic and collector car scene in his role of a consultant to Messe Nuernberg, a major international trade fair organizer. He also became a member of the Organization Team of Bernina Gran Turismo and the high end concours d'Elegance "Salon Privé, taking place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire (UK).
In 2017, the Bernina Gran Turismo, one of the greatest hillclimb race events for classic cars, reached the international top level, being nominated as "Best Motorsports Event of the Year" by OCTANE (UK) and began to expand as a part of the new "St. Moritz Automobile Week".
Claus Mueller is a member of the following Automobile Clubs & Societies:
- Kaiserlicher Automobil-Club e.V. (KAC, Traditionsclub des AvD)
- Bayerischer Automobil Club von 1899 e.V. (BAC, im AvD)
- Classic Motourist Charity e.V.(founding member and president)
- Automobilhistorische Gesellschaft e.V. (AHG)
- PAK Parlamentskreis Automobiles Kulturgut (Lobbyist)
- IAK Initiative Automobile Kultur e.V. (Unesco), founding member
- AvD Middle East (member and chairman of the Kuwait, Iran and Egypt sections)
- AvD, ADAC (member)
- CM is also the founding manager of the „Munich Cafe Racers“.
