Riga Motor Museum

Riga Motor Museum
Established	1989
Location	6 Sergeja Eizenšteina Street; Riga, Latvia
Type	Transportation museum
Director	Aivars Aksenoks
Website	Riga Motor Museum

Riga Motor Museum (Latvian: Rīgas motormuzejs) is the biggest antique vehicle museum in the Baltic countries, located in Riga, Latvia.^[1] The museum is a state agency operating under the Republic of Latvia Ministry of Transport. Since 1992, the museum is a member of International Association of Transport and Communication Museums (IATM–ICOM), since 1994 a member of Latvian Museum Association, since 2002 – a member of Latvian Transport Development and Education Association. The museum is located at 6 Sergeja Eizenšteina Street in the Mežciems neighbourhood of Riga. The museum also features a café and a sports club.

The museum was founded in 1989 on an initiative from Latvia Antique Automobile club (AAK)[1]. The building was designed by the Latgyprogorstroy architect Viktors Valgums. Since 1992 it is a state museum.

In 2013 the museum closed for reconstruction works. All vehicles were moved to temporary museum location in Rāmava. In 2 July 2016 the museum opened after reconstruction for everyone.

One of the most significant exhibits in the museum is a replica of the 1938 Auto Union racing car Type D. The original car was saved from cutting into scrap by Viktors Kulbergs, president of Antique Automobile Club of Latvia but then exchanged for a replica from Crostwaite & Gardiner and Roach Manufacturing after negotiations with Audi AG in 1995. Original 1938 car can now be admired in Audi`s museum mobile in Ingolstadt.^[2]

1938 Auto Union racing car Type D, replica
Ford Köln Y (1933) in Riga Motor museum
Latvian built Ford-Vairogs V8 "De Luxe" (1938)in Riga Motor museum
Horch 830BL (1935) in Riga Motor museum
Harley-Davidson mod. WL (1947) in Riga motor museum
Moskvich 400-420 in Riga motor museum
Moskvich 401-424E in Riga Motor museum
Packard Super Eight 1502 (1937) in Riga Motor museum
Latvian built RAF-2907, based on RAF-2203 "Latvija" in Riga Motor museum.
Hansa G 12/36 Renntorpedo (1914) in Riga Motor museum
ZIL-112 Sports (1961) in Riga Motor museum

References

^ Varey, Mike (2003). 1000 Historic Automobile Sites. Elderberry Press, Inc. p. 409. ISBN 1-930859-50-3.
^ "Auto Union Type C". seriouswheels.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)