Louwman Collection under a new roof in The Hague

LouwmanMuseumThe well-known Louwman collection, a collection created by the Louwman family, a Dutch vehicle importer since the beginning of last century and nowadays Toyota importer, have built a new home for its collection in The Hague.  After the location found a home in Leidschendam in 1969, in Raamdonksveer in 1989, the collection has now found a new home in a superb, purposely built, 10.000 m three store building. It was openened by H.M. Queen Beatrix last Friday, July 2nd.

The Louwman family started to collect historical automobiles while importing  Dodge and Chrysler in the Netherlands. In 1934 they bought their first collectable car, a 1914 Dodge Type 30, one of the oldest surviving Dodges today.  The collection steadily grew and now counts over 230 automobiles. Two of them are Ledwinka designed: a 1948 Tatra T87 and a Spatz Victoria bubble car with central tube chassis, designed by Hans Ledwinka in the autumn of his career.

The T 87 is positioned close to the entrance in a hall housing highlight designs of several countries, the T 87, representing Czechoslovakia, accompanied by a Citroen DS, a Volvo 444, a DAF 600, a Toyota 2000GT etc.

T87Louwman2009LowVideo of HM Queen Beatrix opening the new museum as well as a museumimpression: http://nos.nl/

Louwman Museum:  www.louwmanmuseum.nl

Tatra T 87:  louwmanmuseum.nl/

earlier article:  tatraworld.nl