And I take you my closest neighbor and a city we have come since the early 90’s many times. Of course one of our favorites in Europe. I am like to update this older post on Autoworld in Brussels, Belgium. Of course, these are my favorite pictures, we took a bunch lol!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
This is a magical place, if you like automobiles and been around them ,then it is a must. I spent my University days and into fatherhood surrounded by NASCAR in Daytona Beach Florida USA, and became addicted to them. The thrill of speed and just avoid that bear or grey uniform of the South, = police. After years, it became clear that the affection was not just speed but the beauty of the craftmanship ,the men who rode it, and the stories behind building them. Awesome ! I ,in a way, lucky to be in France where they are several nice auto museum like the one in Le Mans 24 hrs!
However, going on many trips to Belgium , business and personal, and stopping several times in Brussels, never imagine to me that there was an auto museum there. Until 2013; then I saw it fully with the family and it was unbelievable seeing the eyes of my boys and explaining these cars to them, even my dear late wife Martine got on it. It was a memorable trip and one we look forward to repeating and did. One spot to return when possible.
I am talking about the AutoWorld of Brussels. You get here from city by metro line 1A and 1B Station Mérode, and by bus /tram 81 / 82 22 / 27 / 61 / 80. OF course, we walked all over and came here walking from the botanical garden (see post)! Autoworld is an automobile museum house in the Halle Sud or south hall of the Palais du Cinquantenaire (parc du Cinquantenaire) in glass and steel that was built for the universal exposition of 1897.
I have been to auto museums but this one is the best for sure. You have more than 250 cars, that includes motocycles, jeeps, fire truck, etc, you have a nice restaurant and neat complete boutique store. All the vehicles are arranged by motives and era on two floors of exhibits. The temporary expositions are there all year with newer and spectacular vehicles to see, even garages, and road racing competition areas, check the webpage. You have an educational space by Autoworld that shows the ins and outs of the automobile. On Sundays there is a restoration workshop to show how to keep these marvels.
A brief historical lines, tell us that the main force behind this was king Leopold II idea to making Belgium keep up with the joneses,,,, and the Universal Expo of 1897 was it. In order to connect the museum of Colonial history at Tevueren to the Cinquantenaire Park where the rest of the exhibition was taking place, the avenue de Tervuren was built. The large halls that now house the Army and Air Force Museum (see post) and Autoworld date from that period. All these development thru the years led to the formation of the Autoworld museum in 1986
The story goes on this spot, that from 1880 when Belgium celebrated its 50th anniversary of their independence it was decided to host a National Exhibition. Before, the king Leopold II ordered to have traced the outlines of a huge park on an abandoned military training camp outside the city of Brussels, on the plains of Linthout covering 12 hectares (parc du Cinquantenaire). The building was designed in two sections linked by a semi circular colonnade with an Arc of Triumph built in the extension of the Rue de la Loi.
The museum now has about 400 vehicules from automobile collections retracing the histoy of it from 1886 to 1960 and carriages, motocycles etc. By visiting, you see the history of automobiles from the Belle Epoque to the Great War (WWI), the Crazy years, 1930’s, WWII, 1950’s ,and the Golden years in Europe.. Most of the cars in this museum came from private collections making most of the brands and models in it including some animal drawn carriages, electric, steam, and gas cars. Some work on pedals and others by turning a crank. The collections are mostly from Gantois Ghislain Mahy, the motos from Marcel Thiry, the pieces from the Royal Art and History Museum in the Salle Pierre d’Ieteren, and the cars of Charlie De Pauw.
The first exhibit on the main floor (street level) is divided into two. Start your tour by walking up the center aisle and look to your left side, walk around in an anti-clockwise circle. When you have completed the full circle walk up the center aisle again and work your way clockwise on the right side of the floor. This is a chronological tour of cars from different makes. At the very rear of the first floor( 2nd US) on the right corner is a small room that you may miss but is worth a look. Inside, away from roaring engines and gas guzzlers are horse carriages, including the one used in 1853 for Napoleon III wedding.
The mezzanine floor has an evolutionary timeline of cars from the late 1800s to the 2000s and a blank spot for “the future”. This brief tour will highlight the makes and models most popular in Europe in each decade. A great chance to admire the first models of Ferrari and Jaguars which look nothing like they do today. On the right as you exit is a shop where you can buy some souvenir keychains and postcards, but most importantly thousands of miniature model cars for every make you can imagine.
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here are:
The official Autoworld museum: https://www.autoworld.be/home
The museums of Brussels on the Autoworld: https://www.brusselsmuseums.be/en/museums/autoworld-museum-brussels
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. An awesome Autoworld to hold onto it, and nice walks afterward from here in pretty Brussels. And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 