27 replies to this topic

[kayemod]

I'll be spending some time in The Netherlands next month, and as I'll be staying in the Hague for a few days, was planning to visit the Louwman Museum. I've done a search, and while it's been mentioned here a few times, I couldn't find any TNF style assessment of the place. I've seen their website of course, and that's not too encouraging, it looks much closer to the Haynes place near Yeovil than that ultimate shrine to cars, the Schlumpf Museum in Mulhouse, lots of relatively recent stuff. I started to get discouraged when I saw that they had exhibits like recent Lexus and Toyota products, all admirable in their own way of course, but not really worth celebrating. Can any TNFs who've been provide some info on whether it's worth a visit, or should I be concentrating on looking at clogs and cheese, there's a cheese museum, which I have been to, in Edam just north of Amsterdam, and a clog museum in the nearby island of Marken, surprisingly interesting places both of them.

[garyfrogeye]

Not sure if it's your kind of thing but there is the small but perfectly formed Austin Healey museum in Utrecht. 8 to 10 cars and loads and loads of Healey archives.

[Zoe]

Your mileage may vary, but I'd prefer a motor museum over a cheese museum any time, even if the displayed cars are of newer nature

I've passed by the museum a few times while on a business trip and never made the detour, which today I regret.

[ensign14]

It is sooooooooo worth a visit.  You get to see some obscure Dutch marques and some weirdo stuff from the dawn of motoring.  Worth it just for the Sunbeam Mabley.  It's quite a shlep from the station, although you can go through some nice woods, or catch the bus.

 

Amongst the stuff I saw there:

 

-Spyker

-Marmon 16

-Amphicar

-one of Elvis' blingmobiles

-one of Lady Docker's blingmobiles

-Graham

-Columbia

-Baker Electric

-Owen Electric

-Lloyd bubblecar

-Briggs & Stratton

-Nagant

-Stoddard-Dayton

-Georges Roy

-Franklin

-Tamplin

-Rovin

-Farina's Indy Ferrari

 

The one downside is some of the earliest exhibits are behind glass, as if they are in giant display boxes, so the reflections get a bit pic-problematic.  But there is a lot of space around some of the more attractive things.

[Allen Brown]

I believe the March 2-4-0 show car is still in there, the one built using the Mk1 transmission on March 761B/3.  It's painted to match the Scalextric model.  

[Henri Greuter]

They do put out theme expositions like the ones you mention, but I have seen expo's of Mercedes Benz racing cars as well as cars sponsored by Martini. F1's from the 70's to Lancia rally cars of the late 90s and everything in between. But that never is at the expense of their regular collection.

 

Their collection of pre-motor ages carriages and coaches and the manner it is presented is also a sight to behold. Not that they are restored like new but as they were found.

 

The oldest Toyota still in existance, it's a wreck but not in Japan but over there.....

 

OK, 21 years after I pointed out to them that their Watson-Offy was not that but a Laydown with Watson-like bodywork, they still tell it to be a Watson...

I suggest to give it the benefit of the doubt at worse and thus a try....

[Henk Vasmel]

Definitely worth a visit. Louwman is the Toyota importer in the Netherlands, so a few special Toyota's are in the collection. It appears that the Mercedes Fifties racing cars exhibition will finish early September, so probably you will miss that. 

It also took some cars from the Rosso-Bianco collection when that one collapsed, another reason to go and take a look.

[Arjan de Roos]

I'll be spending some time in The Netherlands next month, and as I'll be staying in the Hague for a few days, was planning to visit the Louwman Museum. I've done a search, and while it's been mentioned here a few times, I couldn't find any TNF style assessment of the place. I've seen their website of course, and that's not too encouraging, it looks much closer to the Haynes place near Yeovil than that ultimate shrine to cars, the Schlumpf Museum in Mulhouse, lots of relatively recent stuff. I started to get discouraged when I saw that they had exhibits like recent Lexus and Toyota products, all admirable in their own way of course, but not really worth celebrating. Can any TNFs who've been provide some info on whether it's worth a visit, or should I be concentrating on looking at clogs and cheese, there's a cheese museum, which I have been to, in Edam just north of Amsterdam, and a clog museum in the nearby island of Marken, surprisingly interesting places both of them.

 

https://forums.autos...museum-awarded/

 

When you're back tell us what you think...

[dmj]

It seems a bit strange to accuse a museum known for probably the greatest number of pre-1905. cars exhibited at one place in the world for having too much modern stuff...

[Allan Lupton]

There does seem to be a pretty wide-ranging collection with many very interesting exhibits.

On a personal note, only five of the 15 makes I've owned feature at all. I can say that not all of the missing ones are minority makes as there's no MG, Simca Rover or Wolseley

[nexfast]

I join the others who have visited the Museum before: it's definitely worthwhile and in a way more enjoyable than the Schlumpf (at least to me) which is more of a collection than a real museum. Unfortunately a computer glitch made me loose all photos I've taken when I was there about 4 or 5 years ago, so I'm considering going back again.

[kayemod]

It seems a bit strange to accuse a museum known for probably the greatest number of pre-1905. cars exhibited at one place in the world for having too much modern stuff...

 

I'll be giving it a try, but my initial comment wasn't criticism, each to their own. However, the early cars aren't of much interest to me, and neither are the modern ones, as well as almost any Toyota or Lexus, anything at all far eastern in fact. My main interest is racing cars from 1930ish to the late 20th century. I only wanted to find out if there were enough of those to make a visit worthwhile for me.

[Allan Lupton]

 I only wanted to find out if there were enough of those to make a visit worthwhile for me.

Have a look here:https://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/

[ChrisJson]

I spent five hours there last Wednesday so either it´s very interesting or I´m very dumb!

 

Christer

[kayemod]

I spent five hours there last Wednesday so either it´s very interesting or I´m very dumb!

 

Christer

 

Not dumb, but as I said earlier, each to their own. Reading through the list of exhibits, my interest has cooled slightly, but if you find the likes of a DAF 600 and Ford Anglia "very interesting", that's fine for you, and there seem to be an awful lot of similarly dull and unremarkable cars. Most of us would pause appreciatively, even smile, if we spotted a pristine specimen of either in the street, but paying for the privilege?

 

One thing that bothers me slightly is photography, is it permitted? I couldn't find a mention on the main Louwman site, but the online ticket ordering page mentions some kind of permit. Does this mean that I'd be prohibited from snapping all those DAFS and Anglias & similarly exciting exhibits?

Edited by kayemod, 19 August 2018 - 11:14.

[StanBarrett2]

 

One thing that bothers me slightly is photography, is it permitted? I couldn't find a mention on the main Louwman site, but the online ticket ordering page mentions some kind of permit. Does this mean that I'd be prohibited from snapping all those DAFS and Anglias & similarly exciting exhibits?

Yes, photography and filming allowed, but mobile phone should be switched off, or silenced

 

Louwman houserules.....in Dutch............I didn't bother to check for other language, but knowing my countrymen, I think they would cater to non Dutch speakers/readers/visitors and whotnots

 

Found the English version

forum picture upload

Edited by StanBarrett2, 19 August 2018 - 11:55.

[kayemod]

Thanks for that very helpful, that all seems quite reasonable. I was sure there must be an explanation of their rules on the main site somewhere, but what's the purpose of that "Gratis Photokaart"? If non-commercial photography is permitted anyway, to what extra privileges does the card entitle you?

 

On my earlier post, I didn't mean to criticise the Museum's exhibits generally, just wondering aloud whether it was the kind of collection I'd happily pay to see. As I said, each to their own.

[StanBarrett2]

but what's the purpose of that "Gratis Photokaart"? If non-commercial photography is permitted anyway, to what extra privileges does the card entitle you?

 

I couldn't find anything about it on the site, but seeing as it has a gift wrapped 'thingy' I think you might get something like a museum postcard  if you book on line

Nothing special I think as it is only € 1.50

[Arjan de Roos]

..... all those DAFS ....

 

Actually the Louwman collection comprises of 1 (one) DAF! They do have the largest Spyker collection (I believe all existing bar 1), once competitor of RR and innovative in car design. It is to be seen as a wide collection, in fact anything for all tastes. No, the collection is not a full racing car collection. It was a disappointment that the Rosso Bianco collection was largely sold off. I think one could count on one hand what they kept. Yet there are some gems, like the 1935 Le Mans winning Lagonda! Porsche F2, McLaren CanAm, Indy Ferrari, Nimrod, 300S, D-Type, 625 Tasman....

[Andrew Stevens]

I would highly recommend a visit. There is a great collection of very original early cars - pre WW1 - that are beautifully displayed and overall it is a fascinating collection. There is a wide variety of vehicles on show - do not just think of Toyotas or DAFs or anything else. Enjoy the whole place, a beautifully displayed collection of a wide variety of cars. Go for it - you will enjoy it!

[Henri Greuter]

Actually the Louwman collection comprises of 1 (one) DAF! They do have the largest Spyker collection (I believe all existing bar 1), once competitor of RR and innovative in car design. It is to be seen as a wide collection, in fact anything for all tastes. No, the collection is not a full racing car collection. It was a disappointment that the Rosso Bianco collection was largely sold off. I think one could count on one hand what they kept. Yet there are some gems, like the 1935 Le Mans winning Lagonda! Porsche F2, McLaren CanAm, Indy Ferrari, Nimrod, 300S, D-Type, 625 Tasman....

 

 

I wonder, do they still, (21 years after I pointed it out to them what it really was), list the Denny Moore built Laydown Offy Roadster (Black&Red #22) as being a genuine Watson-Offy????

 

They also own one of the Le Mans winning Jaguar D-types.

 

BTW, at the recent Pebble Beach Concour's d'Elegance, one of their cars came second in the category Pre-War Preservation, it was a 1910 Regal Model N Underslung Fisher Roadster.  Looked like a Barn find but actually ran on own power.

 

The collection has several of such gems...

 

Henri

[john aston]

After overdosing on Vermeer last week in Delft and the Mauritshuis in Den Haag we spent an enchanting morning at the Louwman . Displays of everything from De Dion Bouton to a Peter Revson McLaren M8 - via Bugatti T35 , Elvis' hideous customisations and the crazy Swan Car . Highly recommended

 

Beautifully laid out. bilingual and mistake free signage , and an excellent cafe . My last visit to a car museum  was the late Donington collection and I have to say that  I only wish our Dutch friends had been in charge of that too, as they make an immeasurably better job of running a museum than Donington did in its last decade or so.  .

[Allen Brown]

Was the six-wheel F1 March still there John?

[kayemod]

After overdosing on Vermeer last week in Delft and the Mauritshuis in Den Haag we spent an enchanting morning at the Louwman . Displays of everything from De Dion Bouton to a Peter Revson McLaren M8 - via Bugatti T35 , Elvis' hideous customisations and the crazy Swan Car . Highly recommended

 

Beautifully laid out. bilingual and mistake free signage , and an excellent cafe . My last visit to a car museum  was the late Donington collection and I have to say that  I only wish our Dutch friends had been in charge of that too, as they make an immeasurably better job of running a museum than Donington did in its last decade or so.  .

 

There's already a thread somewhere on the Louwman place, and we had an almost identical couple of weeks in the Netherlands fairly late last year. Wife Anne is a Vermeer fan, so we had to go to the Mauritshuis etc, and the last of our three days in Den Haag was spent in the car place. We had an expensive but good hotel in the centre of town, and forewarned about Louwman parking charges, we went there and back by express bus, though they wouldn't accept my recently acquired Dorset bus pass, so we had to pay. The Museum has it's own bus stop, we got off and started walking in what we thought was the right direction, and there was excited thumping on the windows of the still stationary bus from everyone on board including the driver, seems we were going in the wrong direction, big smiles and thumbs up from all when we turned around. The Netherlands is a lovely though crowded Country, and the population are some of the nicest people we've met on our travels. We found the Museum, which is in a park and hidden by trees, and it is a remarkable place. A superb building, and as John says, beautifully laid out with interesting bilingual and entirely error-free English/Dutch signage, and crammed with really interesting exhibits. I had been a bit wary after having been told that they had Dafs, and the oldest Toyota on display, but lots and lots of good stuff more than made up for that. We arrived at 11.00 am, and had to hurry to the doors at 5.00 pm to avoid being locked in, so a solid six hours in all. Wife Anne is not a car person, but she enjoyed it all as much as I did, not bored at all. Her favourites were the Bond DB5, the awful Elvis Presley cars, and of course the Swan car, which she remembered from the Wayne Carini programmes on TV. Not purist stuff maybe, but there were lots of more interesting cars as well. Having been left behind, I had to almost sprint through the last three halls to get out in time, so didn't see much after the McLaren M8 which would have borne a small amount of my DNA somewhere on its bodywork. On our trip back to the city, we agreed that we'd love to go there again, it was that good, in a somewhat different way as impressive as Schlumpf in Mulhouse, which I thought nothing could top. Non car-enthusiast Anne spent seven hours in there with me, and would happily return to the Schlumpf as well, which just shows that almost anything can be made interesting to all if exhibits etc are set out and explained well in a non-nerdy way.

 

The Netherlands is a great place to visit, but not cheap. I think they have the most expensive petrol in Europe, one fill cost me €100, and three days parking at our Den Haag hotel cost €75. Very cosmopolitan too, on our three nights in Den Haag, we ate consecutively in Indo-Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese restaurants, which was fun, you haven't lived until you've eaten your way through a large bowl of noodles in broth, armed only with chopsticks. For the rest of our holiday, (we managed to fit in six more museums), and ate whatever local Dutch specialities were on offer, and very good they all were too. As I said, a lovely Country, one of our travel favourites, and we'll certainly be going again.

[Tim Murray]

There's already a thread somewhere on the Louwman place ...

I’ve now merged the two Louwman threads. Apologies if this has caused a little duplication in some of the posts.

[john aston]

The March is indeed still there . On the non racer front I had two firsts- a Ferrari Superfast (stunning but lacking the elegant lethality of the nearby 275 GTB ) and a lovely , lovely Lamborghini 350GTV . I loved every Lambo until the Urraco - crass , shouty things ever since . But the Ur Lambo- the GTV - was a real treat 

[Alan Cox]

Their B23 Lancia was on show at Retromobile last week

[kayemod]

Their B23 Lancia was on show at Retromobile last week

 

This particular Lancia, an Astura, was one of my favourites, the very first car I saw as I walked in.