Hidden in a large, hangar-like structure in the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, Belgium, is AutoWorld: a massive car museum with over 250 vintage European and American automobiles on display. Taking a few hours to tour this collection is like walking through the last 100-plus years of automotive history.
The earliest automobiles were based on horse carts, so it's no surprise that the oldest vehicles in the collection resemble carriages. Often, the automaker sold just the chassis and engine, upon which the customer would commission a coachbuilder to build a custom body.
Separating chassis and body construction made each automobile unique, but it also made them difficult to buy and very expensive. The assembly line built Ford's Model T was one of the first vehicle to change this, heralding the era of mass production. During the nearly 20 years that it was produced, more than 15 million Model Ts were built.
Mass production didn't exactly spell the end of coachbuilders. Many were still employed by owners to modify their rides, resulting in some of the first customs like this Ford Model T Speedster.
One of the first successful German automobiles was the Hanomag Kommissbrot, a compact car powered by a 0.499-liter, one-cylinder engine. Output was rated at two-tenths of a horsepower.
Where most cars drew their inspiration from horse carriages, others -- like this French-built Ravel -- seem to be influenced by wooden boat hull construction.
In the '30s, we begin to see automakers experimenting many new features that persist even to today in modern automobiles. For example, this Type 7A is Citroen's first front-wheel-drive vehicle. It also features an integrated monocoque and an independent front suspension.
One of the best ways to improve overall performance is to reduce a vehicle's weight. Where modern vehicles use carbon fiber and composites, this 1930 FN Type 1400's body is made of imitation leather stretched over a wooden frame.
In the late 1940s into the '50s, we start to see automakers around the world working to build small, efficient cars that are beautiful and inexpensive.
During my visit, Autoexpo was showcasing a special exhibition of vehicles built by French automaker Panhard and Levassor -- now under the umbrella of the PSA Peugeot Citroen group.
1950 Volkswagen Beetle Type 1, 1957 Citroen 2CV AZ
Like the American Model T, Ferdinand Porsche's Volkswagen Beetle Type 1 was a revolutionary moment in automotive history. With over 20 million examples produced, the "People's Car" is often cited as the world's most successful automobile. Of course, it spawned a number of imitators.
German fighter plane manufacturer Messerschmitt began building this tandem two-seater in the aftermath of the second World War. That explains its cockpit-like canopy design.
The Isetta was an Italian microcar built by German manufacturer BMW. The driver entered through a large door on the front of the vehicle, climbing around the steering column, which was hinged at the floor.
1961 Skoda Felicia Cabriolet, 1957 Trabant Type 601
The Skoda Felicia and Trabant Type 601 entered the market in the Czech Republic and East Germany, respectively, around 1960. The Type 601 continued to be built and sold as recently as 1991.
Early Porsche models emphasized function over form in their pursuit of performance. However, when Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche (grandson of THE Ferdinand Porsche) penned the 911 with Karmann, he wanted to make sure that the coupe was both fast and beautiful.
American Motors Corporation (AMC) asked Italian automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to build this prototype, but ultimately decided not to produce this 560-horsepower, V-8-powered roadster.
Later, AMC asked Giorgetto Giugiaro for six more AMX/3 prototypes. This one is powered by a 345-horsepower V-8 and looks absolutely sharp next to this Lamborghini Countach.
The Alpine A110 was a gorgeous sports car built by a French manufacturer between the 1962 and 1977. Its four-cylinder engine was good for anywhere between 55 and 250 horsepower depending on the year, model, and race series.
Racing is as much a part of automotive history as passenger cars are. This 1938 French Talbot Lago competition roadster's six-cylinder engine output an amazing (at the time) 155 horsepower.
Here we have a customized F1-styled showcar inspired by the 1957 comic series Michel Vaillante, which followed the exploits of a fictional racing car driver.
I was surprised that I didn't see more Porsche vehicles and race cars at the museum. The collection tended to skew toward French and Belgian automakers -- not that I'm complaining.
Known as the "Brown Bugatti," this blue coupe wraps aerodynamic bodywork around a 1930s-vintage Bugatti Type 57 chassis and is named after Jacques Brown, the man who penned the design in 1954.
Over 1.5 million examples of this aerodynamically shaped sedan were produced following its launch in 1955. Designers obviously didn't have access to computers and wind tunnels at the time, so the silhouette was formed based on testing, intuition, and an eye for style.
Lamborghini has always been a bit of a bonkers brand. This '70s-era Espada was powered by a 350-horsepower, 12-cylinder engine, but what's most noteworthy is its incredibly wide and long design.
Not all of the cars at the museum are built to scale. There is also an extensive collection of automotive toys, models, and a scale model of the museum's hangar-like hall.
For many of us, meticulously building and painting scale models will be as close as we'll get to owning these dream cars, such as this Auto Union Type C race car.
I've only scratched the surface of the hundreds of cars, carriages, and motorcycles on display. If you have a love for cars and happen to find yourself in Belgium, I'd highly recommend a trip to the Autoworld museum.
