Abarth Works Museum in Lier: you must see it!
Abarth Works Museum in Lier (B)
The Abarth Works Museum, located in Lier, is one of the largest classic car museums in Antwerp and the surrounding area. The museum houses a wonderful car collection of rally cars, vintage cars and collectibles, as well as many Abarth accessories. But the current format is going to change. Currently, the collection – as well as various components – can be found in two large factory halls. That is going to change in the near future, though. “Currently, the new museum building is under construction. We expect to be able to open in the spring of 2025, if all goes well. Maybe even a little earlier. In the new building we have space for about 250 cars that we will present in a unique way,” said Guy Moerenhout.
Understatement
To call Guy Moerenhout a car freak is an understatement. His whole life simply revolves around cars and racing. During his professional career, Guy owned a garage and as a mechanic and tuner, he prepared race cars for various rally teams. He was himself a deserving rally driver, a sport he still practices.
In love with the unique character
“In 1971 I started collecting Abarth cars,” says Guy. “Those were mainly models from Abarth, because I fell in love with the uniqueness of those cars. The first Abarths were built with the best parts from other brands, carefully selected by founder Carlo Abarth. Later, Abarth never opted for mass production. And the fact that the car brand was founded in the year I was born, 1949, may have played a role in my fascination.”
Guy’s collection grew steadily and thus the Abarth Works Museum was born. In the museum you will find unique Abarths, as well as models from Fiat, Lada, SEAT and other brands, which in one way or another have a link to Carlo Abarth or Guy Moerenhout.
‘Active’ museum
“Since 2007, the museum has been housed in buildings owned by Varo in Lier,” Guy explains. “They have always been loyal sponsors of rally racing with their brands Powerplus and Kreator, and thanks to their support, the museum has grown into Lier’s second largest tourist attraction. Every year we receive between 3,500 and 4,000 visitors. The uniqueness of our concept is that we are an “active” museum. Not only are our cars on display, but we are constantly restoring and maintaining models. Visitors can follow that process. Eighty percent of our cars are still running and with some models we still participate in races for historic cars. Our cars are not shielded, visitors can literally feel them for a moment.”
The new museum
Because the collection is constantly growing and finding sufficient space is not easy, Guy Moerenhout, Jeroen Nys (Guy’s stepson) and the owner of Varo decided to join forces on a commercial level. “We created a company in which we housed the entire collection,” explains Jeroen Nys. “With this company, we will build a beautiful building especially for the museum. The building is designed to be perfect for showing the collection to the general public. But it will also include workshops, where we – as well as other car enthusiasts – can tinker with the cars. There will also be a library with Guy’s huge book collection on Abarth and other brands, and a store where visitors can buy unique memorabilia. Also new is that car enthusiasts can rent a classic car for a special occasion, a photo shoot/film shoot or even to participate in a historic rally. Finally, it will be possible to host networking events and corporate events in the museum’s unique setting.”
Ready for the next fifty years
Thanks to the investment, the Abarth Works Museum faces a fantastic future. “With the new building, we are ready for the next fifty years,” laughs Guy. Of course, we will return to the Abarth Works Museum when the new museum opens its doors, but the current museum is also more than worth a visit. The photos speak volumes. The collection – still to be found in two separate halls during our visit – offers a wonderful glimpse into Abarth’s history. You’ll find models you may never have heard of. What about a 1981 Fiat Abarth 131 Supermirafiori Volumentrico Stradale, of which only 200 were built. Great to see and what a lovely name.
About Abarth
Abarth, of course, you know as a “tuner” of Fiat 500s. But this brand – introduced by Carlo Abarth – goes much wider. An Italian born in Austria, Carlo Abarth soon took over a significant part of the rally industry. Since 1940, the brand has been associated with extra powerful cars and special exhaust systems. He built cars under his own name and specialized particularly in tuning and building his own engines. Abarth also collaborated with other brands, rebuilding models from Porsche, Renault, Simca and Alfa Romeo, for example, with special body and car parts. Moreover, Carlo Abarth was the first to use magnesium, aluminum and polyester. Another method of reducing car weight: drill bolts.
Carlo Abarth, a genius
Carlo Abarth was born in Vienna on November 15, 1908. As a teenager and young adult, he designed motorcycle and bicycle chassis’. In addition to continuing his technique, he also became European champion five times, but after a serious accident, he quit motorcycle racing. After World War II, he moved to Merano and founded the Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia (CIS Italia, later Cisitalia) along with Tazio Nuvolari, family friend Ferry Porsche and engineers Rudolf Hruska and Piero Dusio. The project unfortunately ended when Dusio moved to Argentina.
Scorpio
Abarth then founded the company Abarth & C. with Cisitalia driver Guido Scagliarini in Bologna (March 31, 1949), using his astrological sign, the scorpion, as the company logo. In the same year, Abarth & Co moved to Turin. The company began making racing cars and became a major supplier of high-quality exhausts, which are still in production under the Abarth name. The company was sold to Fiat on July 31, 1971, but Abarth stayed on board for a while as CEO. He later moved back to Vienna, Austria, where he died on Oct. 24, 1979.
Many thanks to Guy Moerenhout and the Abarth Works Museum.
