If one has the occasion to visit Yvan Mahe’s Equipe Europe workshop in Ozouer Le Voulgis, France, the feeling one can get is that of dropping in on a living classic car museum.

Situated in the picturesque French countryside, about 30 miles from Paris, the Equipe Europe garage is specialized in the restoration, preparation, service and development of historic racing cars.

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The Louwman Museum was opened by HRH Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on July 2, 2010. This opening marked the culmination of eight years of very hard work by Mr. Evert Louwman and his management team, led by Museum director Ronald Kooyman. Regulations being what they are, this was the time it took, from the first application to build a museum to the actual opening.

Beginning on the Louwman Collection

Owner of the collection, Mr. E.V.N. Louwman

Mr. Louwman’s father, Piet Louwman, started collecting cars as early as 1931, when a client (Mr. Louwman Sr. was in the business of importing and selling cars in Holland, among which Dodge) traded in his Dodge 1914 model (a car with all mod-cons) for something newer. This car is “the mother lode” of the Museum and takes a place of pride. The car collecting bug had found very fertile ground and Louwman never looked back. Now the Museum itself houses 236 cars of a great variety and is considered to be one of the finest all-round collections in the world.

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Bob Ensign of Ensign Restoration Services of Latham, New York, has been in business for 16 years. His philosophy is, “Do what you love. Love what you do. It is going to work.” His short cropped hair, animated gestures, steel blue eyes and great stories draw you in. Bob demands the highest quality. Here he discusses his work with restoration of a 1949 Maserati A6 1500, a 1953 Cunningham C3 Coupe and his unique MG custom while giving a tour of his shop.

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It was an eventful era that ushered in groundbreaking technical developments for the evolution of the automobile. In this period the automobile became an important mode of transport and powerful item of sports equipment, new plants were set up, and in 1926 the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from Stuttgart merged with Benz & Cie.

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The Mercedes-Benz Museum at the company’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany is a depository of the history of the automobile, motorsport, commercial transportation and the Twentieth Century altogether, presented in one of the most modern museums in the world.

Two names, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, stand above all others in the company’s history. But there were many others, both known and unknown, who contributed to the history of the longest-established automaker in the world. They are also represented in the singular exhibits of the Mercedes-Benz museum, particularly in Mercedes-Benz’ long history of success in motorsport.

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Morris Kindig is Executive Director of the proposed Monterey Museum of Automotive Arts that aims to build upon the legacy of Monterey’s storied history with the automobile. Conceived to honor and recognize the relationship the automobile has with the Monterey Peninsula, the Museum will pay homage to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Laguna Seca and the personalities that carried the flame for the automobile.

The planned 150,000 sq ft venue is designed to house over one hundred cars within the Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca wings and within main exhibition hall. In addition the facilities will include an active restoration area, theater, library, digital media center, members club, restaurant, banquet facilities, plus an art gallery, history and education center and retail store.

Morris sat down with Sports Car Digest to discuss the proposed Monterey Museum of Automotive Arts and his long relationship with cars.

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In the 12 months since its founding, the Mullin Automotive Museum hosted the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic to international acclaim, exhibited four unique Bugatti prototypes direct from Bugatti Automobiles SAS, was awarded “Best of Show” at the Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance and published The Art of Bugatti, a tribute to the numerous works of the Bugatti family represented in the Mullin Automotive Museum’s collection. Further, Bugatti SAS bestowed Peter Mullin with its “Lifetime Achievement” award for his great dedication to the historic marque.

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The history of the Indianapolis 500 fills one of the most remarkable galleries in all of racing.

Dan Weldon‘s 2011 race-winning car soon will join this collection—the most exclusive in racing—a collection of Indianapolis 500-winning automobiles. Other significant automobiles are displayed separately.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is located in the Speedway infield between Turns One and Two and attracts visitors from around the world throughout the year. Exhibits change and a special exhibition was staged during the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. But a visit to the museum shortly before the 2011 500 revealed the extraordinary attraction of this very special place.

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The Ralph Lauren Car Collection Exhibition, titled L’Art de L’Automobile, is currently held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, with the exhibit running until 28 August, 2011.

If you ask any car enthusiast to make a Top 50 of the most important luxury and racing cars of the 20th century, this list will certainly include all of the seventeen vehicles displayed now in Paris, as part of the exhibition named L’Art de L’Automobile. That’s why even the regular petrolheads – who usually don’t like cars to be compressed in some fancy locations, where it is forbidden to sit in them or even touch them – have to admit: the masterpieces from Ralph Lauren’s private collection are simply bound to be in a place like the impressive assembly hall of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the chic Rue de Rivoli.

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From the Cisitalia of 1947 to the 2uettottanta of 2010, through the Flaminia Presidenziale, many of the milestones of Pininfarina design are now on exhibit (starting March 20) at the new National Automobile Museum of Turin.

Among the 200 cars on display in the reborn Museum dedicated to the history of the four wheels the Cisitalia 202 could not be missing. So the “moving sculpture”, as defined by Arthur Drexler, can be admired again by the public, after an accurate restoration completed in 2009 at the Pininfarina plant in Cambiano (Torino).

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The new location allows for a more extensive display of brass, vintage, pre- and post-war specialty automobiles offered, as well as original automotive art and artifacts from several eras.

Early automobiles currently on display include a 1905 Renault town car originally owned by the Cooper Hewitt family of New York, a 1907 Fiat Targa Florio Corsa and a 1924 Lancia Lambda.

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Story and photos by Leigh Dorrington

The Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse, France has been described as the most prestigious automobile collection in the world. Without doubt, no other collection in the world has a history more filled with intrigue.

The public learned of the collection of automobiles assembled by brothers Fritz and Hans Schlumpf in 1977 when workers striking against the Schlumpfs’ woolen mills seized the collection.

No less than automotive journalist Denis Jenkinson—who rode with Sir Stirling Moss in his famous 1955 Mille Miglia victory for Mercedes—first documented the secretive collection, writing with Peter Verstappen and assisted by noted Bugatti historian Hugh Conway who at times expressed his dismay at ever becoming involved with the Schlumpf brothers and their obsession with dominating the world market for Bugattis.

By then the Schlumpfs had fled to their native Switzerland and would never again see the collection that had in turns dominated their lives, doomed their business empire and sent them into a permanent exile.

But already, we are ahead of the story.

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Jim Glass owns a Corvette shop and showroom in Kingston, NY, just a couple miles from the beautiful Rhinebeck Bridge over the stunning Hudson River and about ten minutes to the famed 60’s Woodstock, NY. This is the land of Sleepy Hollow tales. Jim is a humble guy, down to earth, and easy to talk with. He sports a Leno-style head of white hair.

Jim invited me to attend the VSCCA event in June, 2010 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut and then to Kingston to tour his shop and superb showroom. Jim had just finished a qualifying sprint when we sat down in the paddock area to chat in 90 degree heat.

Sports Car Digest: We’re here at Lime Rock this weekend. What’s so special about racing here?

Jim Glass: For me, Lime Rock is close to home and it’s where I have the most experience.

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Report and photos by Rick Carey, Auction Editor

There are number of great automobile collections around the world. I’m far from an expert on them, but the best of the best have to very good to be better than the collection and facility that Peter Mullin has put together in Oxnard, California.

Although the Mullin Museum is focused on great French coachwork and competition cars, it is much more than an automobile museum, with an extensive display of some of the furniture, sculpture and art of the Bugatti family. It is a celebration of the great industrial design and art movements of the early 20th century, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and the art of the Machine Age.

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Brian Donovan, owner, operator, team manager and lead engineer of Donovan Motorcar Service, regularly gives “Tech Sessions” in the handsome showroom of his full service shop in Lenox, Massachusetts. I caught up with him before a recent talk he gave to members of the Jaguar Association of New England.

The session for the day at hand was “Performance Improvements for the Jaguar XJS.” About 20 members of JANE arrived an hour after I did for a tour of the showroom, a large workshop and huge on-site storage facilities.

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Guest curator Ken Gross assembled 18 feature automobiles from the finest collectors, including Chip Connor, Sam Mann, Bruce Meyer, Peter Mullin, Jon Shirley, Peterson Museum, Collier Collection, among others.

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Sports Car Digest toured the Ferrari Classiche facility and came away impressed by the services offered to Ferrari clients. During our visit, a wide range of street and racing Ferraris were being restored or serviced, including a 250 GT Lusso, 250 Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GT California Spyder, 365 GT4 BB and Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis race car.

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To call the Righini Collection unique does not do it justice, as the setting alone – a 15th century castle

© Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments |
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The exhibits are mostly a combination of Ferrari road and competition cars, with many of more iconic cars from throughout its history present.

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The museum features 60,250 square feet (5,600 sq meters) of exhibition space designed entirely in white, ample space for approximately 80 historic vehicles and more than 200 smaller exhibits depicting Porsche’s history.

© Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments |
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