The major summer exhibition at Autoworld Brussels is dedicated to the Mahy family of collectors. This is more than just a home game, as the museum's permanent collection consists of part of the Mahy collection. It has already been mentioned here that the Mahymobiles Museum in Leuze-en-Hainaut (Belgium) is home to another part of the Mahy family collection, which goes back to the enterprising collector Ghislain Mahy and his sons and comprises around 1000 examples. However, the subtitle of the exhibition "The Barnfind Collection" appears to be an understatement. After all, the term "barn find", which is sometimes used lightly, hardly does justice to the exhibits.
The vehicles, most of which come from the collection in Leuze, appear to have been taken from catacombs rather than forgotten in a barn. The unrestored cars have been brought out of the dark and into the light, so to speak. Each one has a story to tell, and visitors can look forward to not having to spot the exhibits crowded together in the dark. What makes them so appealing is that they are marked by the traces of time. Anyone who was fascinated by the Baillon Collection in Paris years ago or the recent Palmen Collection should not miss this opportunity in Brussels either. And for those who have never seen vehicles in such a state (the French term "dans leur jus" - "in their own juice" - describes this charmingly), the exhibition is particularly recommended.
Italians and Italian-Americans
Almost 30 vehicles from the period between 1914 and 1964 are on display, all of them unrestored, including several examples of French origin. The slightly "spooky" atmosphere of the museum in Leuze can still be sensed, but the exhibits arranged to great effect in Autoworld are complemented by large-format, masterful images by photographer Wouter Rawoens. Some of these photographs capture the atmosphere of the collection in Leuze; most show individual portraits of the vehicles. The cars are accompanied by a short description in French and Dutch, which can also be accessed in English using a QR code. In addition to the exhibition, a movie is also shown. Once again, it is worth mentioning that there is plenty of seating for visitors to linger.
So let's go on a tour and first take a look at the Chrysler Ghia ST from 1955. The mighty coupé based on the Chrysler New Yorker shows certain parallels to the significantly smaller VW Karmann-Ghia from this period. And on closer inspection, you can see that someone must have been a little overzealous at some point in trying to remove the dirt of the decades from the front of the vehicle. Italian elegance is also exuded by the Maserati A6G GT with a body by Allemano, of which only 21 are said to have been built; the Maserati 3500 GT from 1961, which is hidden under a layer of dust, is probably better known.
Next to a Fiat 2100 with a body designed by Pietro Frua and built by Viotti are a badly damaged 1952 Porsche 356 and a Ford Anglia Sportsman with its characteristic inward-sloping rear window, which once stood in Hans Mahy's showroom.
Between the wars
Several exhibits bear witness to the era of the great French prestige brands. Firstly, there is a mighty Delage D 8 with a station wagon-like body by Antem, in which English students are said to have been stranded in Brussels after a tour of France, where it was taken over by Ghislain Mahy for a small sum, probably as a courtesy. An opulent convertible from Talbot-Lago with a body designed by Saoutchik is on display, and the Delahaye brand is represented by three examples. On display will be an elongated convertible from the 135 series with a body by Vanden Plas (1947) as well as a special one-off, a coupé from the same year with a plastic dome and mother-in-law's seat that takes some getting used to, which was produced by coachbuilder Oblin in Brussels.
Finally, there is an elegant Delahaye 135 MS convertible built by Ghia-Aigle with retractable wheel covers, which was long considered lost. The Voisin brand is represented by an engine-less C 24 from 1933 and a C 14 from 1929.
Other cars date from the period between the world wars. A tireless Buchet C2 (1923), an Amilcar ACG SS from 1927 and a Bugatti T 23 Brescia. It is not only at first glance that one might mistake Maurice Badaroux's own design MB No 501 from 1927 for a contemporary Bugatti. The French brand Philos was only active for a few years. The 1914 Coupé de Ville shown here is the oldest car in the exhibition.
A royal convertible
In addition to the aforementioned Porsche, the German makes include a BMW 327 and a mighty Horch 853 Cabriolet Sport. The small tow truck, known as the Stoewer 40, is a Stoewer on whose chassis a Steyr body was fitted.
Let's end the tour with a Tatra T 87, a Cadillac 62 Convertible and some British cars that are always exciting to look at. An Austin A90 Atlantic, the MG PB racing car from 1936 and a TC from 1949 can be seen. And finally, there is a battered Aston Martin DB 2 Cabriolet (1953) owned by the former Belgian King Baudouin (1930 to 1993), who is said to have hardly ever driven the car.
You can spend a long time in this special summer exhibition. Afterwards, you can take a tour through the core collection of Autoworld. Here you can discover some counterparts to the exhibition - albeit in restored condition. The exhibition is open daily until September 3, 2023.
