The Museum is housed in a beautiful building built by the architect Gédéon Bordiau, commissioned by King Leopold II (1835-1909), and was built on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1888.
At the request of the King, the main hall was divided into two symmetrical parts. This created a large square with an unobstructed view of the triumphal arch towards Tervuren. The front and rear of the pavilions were completely made of glass, inserted in a steel structure. These pavilions were a calling card of the Belgian steel and glass industry, in which the country excelled at the time. The halls are still there today, one houses the Aerospace Museum and the other has been home to Autoworld since 1986. Most of the cars on display at Autoworld come from the Mahy Collection revered by connoisseurs around the world because it included around 1000 vehicles.
Ghislain Mahy was fascinated by technology from an early age. This is how he built an impressive collection of vehicles from all horizons, old and not old, powered by steam or by the internal combustion engine. For Ghislain and his sons Hans and Ivan, collecting had always been a hobby, far from any commercial concern. Each year, five cars went through restoration as it was physically impossible to do more. But finding a pre-1900 Belgian vehicle was an almost religious experience for him! This is why the collection contains many Belgian brands such as Minerva, Germain, FN, Imperia, Fondu, Vivinus, Nagant, Belga-Rise and Miesse.
Today the beautiful museum houses the treasures of the history of the car, decades of evolution in technology, comfort, safety and increasing attention to the environment are on display here through countless motor vehicles. From early models of the distant past to contemporary cars that foreshadow the car of tomorrow and beyond, the visitor is guided through the fabulous history of the car thanks to technical but easily understandable comments.
In recent years, and mainly since 2010, the museum has undergone substantial transformations, permanent improvements and the fitting out of new areas such as "Sport & Competition" (2012), "Belgium at Autoworld" (2014) and "the Workshop" (2015).
Every two years, a prestigious scenographic exhibition is held on the mezzanine floor, attracting a large number of visitors, and several times a year temporary exhibitions, always related to the automotive, create an increasingly eager public to discover something different.
