Maximilian originally studied political science and history in Mainz, but the call of the cars was so strong that he followed it. “A commercial apprenticeship was the best way to enter the automotive industry from a very practical perspective.” Today, Maximilian Mayer manages the Aston Martin Brand Store on Kleiner Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. In his career to date, he has gained a great deal of automotive experience in various roles at Emil Frey and Aston Martin: Sales Assistant, Assistant to the Management Board of Emil Frey Germany, Marketing Manager Aston Martin at Emil Frey, Store Manager – some of the most formative stations in his career to date. Petrol flows through his veins – that’s the impression you get when you talk to him.
At the time of its opening in July 2023, the Aston Martin Brand Store in Stuttgart was Aston Martin’s first brand store in Europe and the second of its kind worldwide, directly after Aston Martin’s flagship store in New York City. “Stuttgart is fertile ground for Aston Martin, which is reflected in the success of our Aston Martin headquarters in Filderstadt-Bernhausen as well as the Aston Martin Brand Store. We greatly appreciate the passion, enthusiasm and loyalty of our customers and are always delighted to welcome new members to the Aston Martin family.” The field of competitors is of course particularly pronounced in Stuttgart, but according to Maximilian Mayer, this is also a special attraction: Stuttgart is a car city, whether it likes it or not. The car, especially beautiful, high-quality vehicles and the corresponding high-tech companies have created the prosperity that we enjoy here today. Maximilian continues: “The affinity for the finer things in life, especially for the car, is high in Stuttgart despite all Swabian modesty. It is lived and enjoyed – always in a reserved manner, but no less intense and full of joie de vivre. It’s nice to see that – and to be a part of it, too.”
In the Aston Martin Brand Store, Emil Frey always presents a “hero car” that is of particular importance to the brand and the company. These are usually the current series models, but “specials” such as the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger or the Aston Martin Valkyrie were also on display there. Overall, the Aston Martin Brand Store has a hybrid existence: on the one hand, it is a brand experience centre where visitors can immerse themselves in the ultra-luxurious world of Aston Martin and come into contact with it. On the other hand, it is a retail centre in the classic and best sense. The entire Aston Martin model range can be configured, test-driven, ordered and then collected there. Of course, there is not just one workshop at Kleiner Schlossplatz – this can be found in the main workshop in Filderstadt.
The Aston Martin Brand Store is always happy to welcome visitors and is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm. It is located at Kleiner Schlossplatz 11, directly on the ground floor of the BW Bank building, next to the Schlichtenmaier Gallery.
Personal tips from Maximilian Mayer
Knausbira Stüble Heumadener Str. 15 70329 Stuttgart https://www.knausbira-stueble.de/
An outstanding restaurant that combines Swabian classics with South Tyrolean highlights. In my humble opinion, this makesit Stuttgart’s best”normal” restaurant, although “normal” doesn’t really do the Knausbira Stüble justice.
La Visione Marie-Curie-Straße 3 73770 Denkendorf https://lavisione.de/
What began with ” L’Inizio” (Italian: The Beginning) in Stuttgart-Plieningen became “La Visione” ( we ‘ll save the translation ) in Ostfildern. A visionary and very beautiful restaurant from Vincenzo Pepe and Daniele Ciccarone, who , together with his kitchen brigade , serves the finest Italian cuisine. A top Italian restaurant for every day and for special occasions.
High Fidelity Brennerstraße 23 70182 Stuttgart https://highfidelity.bar/
A feast for the eyes, palate and ears. This is High Fidelity. Melt-in-the-mouthPeruvian cuisine, wines to die for and a sound system, that is unrivalled regionally, if not nationally. A first-class listening room.
Osteria Klagenfurter Str. 17 70469 Stuttgart
The Osteria is located in an inconspicuous area of Stuttgart-Feuerbach. A restaurant that serves Italian cuisine with so much passion, passion , passion and love that you rarely find. The genius: The menu consists of five regularly changing 2-course menus, which sometimes make the decision easier , sometimes more difficult. If you still want to eat individually, will find a very good selection of well-known and and more unusual dishes further back on the menu. A great place with a super house wine and really friendly hosts.
Winkler Hotel Stefansdorf St. Lorenzen, South Tyrol https://www.winklerhotels.com/
A great hotel for both short and long stays. Top cuisine, wonderful spa, great team and great location. Also very dog-friendly, which is very convenient for us.
Restaurant Fera Palma de Mallorca https://ferapalma.com/
Simon Petutschnig and his team at Fera inspire with their great culinary artistry. A culinary impressive and very (!) beautiful restaurant in Palma’s city centre.
Osteria de Mercati Sassari, Sardinien
When an architect becomes a restaurateur, it promises to be a very nice place, where architectural aesthetics meet culinary delights. This is exactly the case at the Osteria de Mercati. A wonderful restaurant in the historic centre of Sassari, the second largest city in Sardinia and an underrated metropolis in the north of the, possibly the most beautiful island in the world.
Elcielo Miami https://elcielomiami.com/
Juan Manuel Barrientos, a Colombian through and through, brings his homeland to life at Elcielo in Miami in an impressive, multi-sensory experience at the very highest gastronomic level. You can ‘t describe it – you have to experience it.
SESA Architekten Stuttgart https://www.sesa.de/
A special architectural practice that is characterised not only by its outstanding team of people and professionals, but also through its innovative and aesthetically and sustainable architectural design approach. A partner you can build on and with, no matter how large or complex the project is.
