Slow roads, fast cars
Despite seldom having the space to shift out of third gear, the Maltese do like their cars. In addition to the usual stock of small, mass produced modern hatchbacks, there are some classic cruisers and high performance cars to be seen out on the streets. Although most Maltese seldom having the space to park even a single car, one bloke decided to create the Malta Classic Car Museum. I thought I’d have a look.
I rode the bus to the town of Buggiba, about half an hour’s trip north-west of Valetta. Walking in the direction of the museum from the bus stop, through the cramped and busy streets, I wondered ‘where on earth could anyone squeeze a large-scale museum into all this?’ Then I spotted a beautiful old Bugatti, sitting out the front of the museum entrance.
It was a good move by management to have the Bugatti outside, otherwise it would be easy to miss the entrance altogether.
I was the first visitor to arrive for the day, which has been a familiar experience during my Covid-era travels. The staff member lead me down the stairs, switched on the lights, and said ‘We like to surprise our visitors with how big the museum is’. I definitely was. There were two levels holding a huge collection of cars and memorabilia.
The display included several Minis, which would be very practical for the narrow, winding Maltese streets. There was the race-ready…
…the stylish…
…and the practical.
Minis also had the advantage that in the case of breakdown, the owner could simply pick the car up, put it under their arm, and walk the rest of the way home.
There were many British cars exhibited, including this sparkling 1958 Triumph TR3.
There was a big collection of Alfa Romeo classics too.
Although the Malta Classic Car Museum predominantly featured European marques, there was also room for a little American muscle. Like this ’62 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster.
The Roadster sported a stylish interior, including a Jesus Bar for the passenger.
There were a handful of vehicles on display that, unlike the classic sportscars, could not be considered high performance. Of these, the standout for low performance and high unreliability was undoubtedly the 1979 Trabant. For those unfamiliar with this vehicle, it was a product of the East-German Soviet-era; a time when a lack of materials, low-tech engineering and a half-starved workforce lead to the mass-production of a plethora of B-grade machinery.
The Trabant was manufactured from 1957 to 1991, and received little design improvement over this period. The car featured a smoke-belching two-stroke engine, and panels made of a plastic strengthened with wool or cotton. Considering the minimal crash protection such a construction would afford, it was probably a good thing that the Trabant had woeful acceleration and a top speed to match.
In addition to the cars on display, there was also a collection of motorcycles and some great old photos.
The museum even had a fully equipped restoration workshop.
The vehicles shoe-horned into the Malta Classic Car Museum are an amazing collection, and the management have done a great job in their presentation. If you have an interest in cars – or space management – it is definitely worth checking out if you are visiting Malta.
To visit the Malta Classic Car Museum click here
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Royal Automobile Museum, Jordan, Classics Museum, New Zealand
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