For those intending to visit Europe there are a few interesting motor museums which are worth a detour.  A green Michelin Guide is a big help and a Michelin map.  WH Smith has them.

Geneva
About 500 cars going back to the twenties.  Some over the top French coachwork of interest but collection only average.  It’s at the Geneva airport so is easy to get to.

Martigny
A two to three hour drive from Geneva via Lausanne, beautiful road, speed limit 130 kph.  The Fondation Pierre Gianadda has an art museum, miraculous sculpture garden, and a jewel of a car museum.  Has Bebe Peugot (Bugatti’s first design), aluminium Rolls, Hispano, Bugatti Petit Royale, Alfa 8C , Mercedes 1928 supercharged underbraked monster and other excellent cars.

For photos from Martigny, click here.

Maranello (south of Modena)
A Must for Ferrari lovers, not big, changed quite often, good display of engine drawings, history etc.  Look at the Ferraris in the car park. Three hours from Milan off the Venice highway. 

Museo Nazionale dell’ Automobile “Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia”Torino (Turin)
This has been put together with the resources and influence of FIAT.

They have now printed a new catalogue in English and Italian.  it's a wonderful (large) display starting with the first moving vehicle (steam) from 1756 ( a replica) and showing a superb selection from the first cars onwards.  The racing section is an eye opener - I'd seen the cars before but hadn't had the history.  Somehow they've wheedled together a galaxy of the very best (Gianni Agnelli may have had something to do with it).  The Type 159 Alfa Romeo that Fangio drove to the world title in 1949 and  the V 12 Ferrari he won in later; plus the Lancia D50 that Ascari drove into Monte Carlo harbour-or at least the car in which he won HIS world title just before getting killed while testing a Ferrari, which triggered Lancia to withdraw from racing and give their cars to Ferrari- with which they won the title the next year.  Also the Maserati 250F which gave Fangio another title and finally the Mercedes W196 which Fangio drove to the 1954 title. Alfa Romeo 1932 P2 and many others.   All totally as they were raced with the marks of competition on them.  This is a really good experience.  The museum is by the picturesque river so take lunch and have it by the river.

Mulhouse (pronounced mulloos)
The French National Auto Museum, formerly the Schlumpf collection.  Many of the members have been there.  Absolutely outstanding.  The Schlumpf’s ran a number of textile factories and collected substantial government subsidies which they chose to spend on 135 Bugattis plus 350 other cars of interest. Got caught in 1979 and had to do a midnight flit to Switzerland whereupon the Government took back and cherished what their money had been spent on. Good notes in English. Everything from Ettoré’s personal Royale to a full range of French coachbuilding on Bugatti chassis, to Amilcars and 300SL.  The drum braked GP selection is marvelous – two Mercedes W125 silver arrows, the last Bugatti, Maseratis 4CL, 250F, Ferarris, Alphas and of course all the Bugs type 35 to 51A plus the rest. Not many Brit cars, Standard Swallow but no Jags, only one proper Bentley but the last made by WO.  Some good videos showing.  Disappointment is lack of show of engines.  Taking photographs seems to be OK.  Drive there from Paris on superb roads – five hours.  Mulhouse dull town – stay at Colmar 25 kms away, wonderful immaculate medieval town, not expensive but all one way streets.  Fantastic experience.  Interesting note – I photographed 28 cars, 20 were right hand drive, 5 uncertain from the photo and only 3 left hand drive, in a European selection.  Ettore Bugatti’s personal Royale was RHD

Mulhouse also has the National Train Museum and the Peugot museum.

For photos from the Schlumpf collection, click here.

Lyon
Museé Henri Malarte.  15 Kms north of the city.  Also picturesque river so take sandwich.  Some elegant early cars, get a good look at original De Dion and other early cycle cars, Hitler Mercedes with bullet marks, Edith Piaf Packard, some postwar French racing cars – Roland Pilain, Lago Talbot.  Not a big collection but well worth a visit if in the district.    For photos from Museé Henri Malarte, click here.

South of France
A museum full of Rally cars for those interested.  Off the A8 highway between Nice and Cannes, actually between Mougin and Biot.  There’s a sign on the road.

                                                                            - Written by Nigel Gray,  April 2005

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