Abarth Works Museum Plans Move by 2023: “Racing Car Collection Will Be Better Showcased in New Building.”

The Abarth Works Museum in Lier – home to over three hundred vintage racing cars – has announced concrete plans for a new building. “The future premises will be larger, more modern, and multifunctional,” say museum managers Guy Moerenhout and Jeroen Nys. In the meantime, the collection has been temporarily relocated to a pop-up venue further down the street.

Half a century ago, car enthusiast and rally driver Guy Moerenhout began collecting vintage race cars linked to legendary Italian carmaker Carlo Abarth. In 2007, Moerenhout moved his now impressive fleet to the former premises of Varo in the Industriestraat in Lier. Eight years later, the Abarth Works Museum officially opened its doors. The next major milestone is the construction of a brand-new exhibition space.

4,000 Visitors

“In a normal year, we welcome between 3,500 and 4,000 visitors to our museum. These are people from all over the world,” says founder Guy Moerenhout. “We’ve had guests from countries like Chile, Japan and Australia. In the future, we want to host our guests under even better conditions. The old building required major renovations. We concluded that demolishing and rebuilding would be a more attractive option.”

Plans for the future museum have now been drawn up, and the environmental permit application has been submitted. Guy Moerenhout’s stepson, Jeroen Nys – also the owner of Varo – is involved in the project. “Together with my stepfather Guy, I’ve founded a company to house the entire collection,” says Jeroen Nys. “I may not share the same passion for the cars, but I want to help preserve and develop the museum.”

Receptions

The plan is to increase the exhibition space from six thousand to ten thousand square metres. “We don’t intend to significantly expand the collection, but in a larger area it will be better displayed,” explains Jeroen Nys. “The plans also include a larger workshop for car maintenance, with around 80 percent of the vehicles still in perfect condition. Visitors will be able to look into the workshop through a glass wall. We also want the building to be multifunctional. We’re planning an exclusive gift shop, a specialised library, a café and rooms for meetings or corporate events.”

If all goes to plan, the Abarth Works Museum will move into the new building in spring 2023. In the meantime, the museum has relocated to the former Antilope De Bie printing facility (just a bit further along the Industriestraat).

Source: https://www.hln.be/lier/abarth-works-museum-wil-tegen-2023-verhuizen-collectie-racewagens-gaat-nog-beter-tot-haar-recht-komen-in-nieuwbouw~a212823a by Kristof De Cnodder