Make a pit stop in Málaga
It started off in the early part of the 20th century as one man’s private collection of vintage cars. Although Portuguese petrol head João Manuel Magalhães’ hoard was initially his father’s, he continued snapping them up with the idea of opening a car museum in Portugal one day. However, his government wasn’t interested in the collection so he brought them to Spain, where the Ministry of Culture eventually found them a permanent home in the architecturally stunning Fabrica de Tabacos, or old Tobacco Factory in Málaga.
The city then spent nine million euros converting the building into an eye-catching museum, which opened in 2010 and now holds one of the most important collections of vintage cars in the world. Today those with a penchant for old or historically important cars will find 85 such vehicles on exhibition in the museum, and every year scores of international car lovers make the pilgrimage to Málaga to see the collection that has been valued at around 25 million euros.
Inside the museum the cars are thoughtfully and lovingly displayed as works of art in themed rooms such as the Belle Epoque and La Dolce Vita. One Rolls Royce from 1985, for example, is called the Swarovski because it is decorated with thousands of crystals from the iconic bling company. Other cars have tremendous historical value, such as a Mercedes 540K used by Heinrich Himmler, or a Lancia Italia that carried Mussolini at parades. Some of the cars on display are so old they look more like horse-drawn carriages, while more recent models include classic cars from Bugatti, Auburn, Bentley, Jaguar, Ferrari and Mercedes. However, the fairer sex will be pleased to discover that it’s not just cars on display in the museum, there is also a collection of 300 vintage hats and designer dresses. It’s also worth noting that some cars are available to hire should any Marbella residents fancy turning some heads on front line Puerto Banús this summer.
www.museoautomovilmalaga.com
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