Toutes les Machines du Monde
Latvia, Sweden, Czech Republic
Click on the photo for each museum to visit our photo page for that museum
Museums are arranged by rating
Riga Motor Museum, Riga, Latvia ★★★★★
This is a really nice four star museum with one absolutely stunning five star exhibit that makes any trip you have to make worth whatever effort it took to get there. The pictured 1938 Auto-Union Type C/D sixteen cylinder racing car is so special and so unique and just so drop dead gorgeous that you just have to find a way to go to Riga to see it. Whew! The rest of the museum is very interesting as well, with a lot of cars you won’t see in other museums, particularly a large exhibit of eastern bloc models. By itself it is well worth the visit; but the Auto-Union is the real draw. The link will take you to the detailed history of this car and from there you can go on to the photo page. Enjoy.
This museum was closed for remodeling after our visit in 2012. It reopened in 2016.
MC Collection Motorcycle Museum, Sollentuna, Sweden ★★★★
Sadly I have to report that this is another small private museum that is no longer open. The collection was auctioned off in January 2019. I’ve left the photos and my description of the museum for your enjoyment.
A small museum hidden away on the outskirts of Stockholm, this is a very nice spot and well worth a visit if you are in Sweden. About 120 machines, heavily weighted toward American bikes between 1905-1940 with lots of racing models in the mix. Upstairs is a small group of more modern bikes, but the reason for coming is the vintage collection. The bikes are beautifully restored and maintained, the lighting, special displays and the printed information are all very well done, and the whole experience is low key and enjoyable.
Tatra Technical Museum, Koprivnice, Czech Republic ★★★★
Tatra is a very interesting manufacturer and this is a most interesting museum. They made a firm and early commitment to air cooling, rear engine placement, independent suspension and a simple backbone frame structure and stuck to that formula for many decades. Even their heavy trucks were known for these features (all but the rear mounted engine) and their performance took them to multiple victories in their class at the Paris-Dakar Rally and they were also popular at team support trucks for that event. The museum features many technically oriented displays and a great gift shop.
National Technology Museum, Prague, Czech Republic ★★★★
This is a nice technical museum, with exhibit rooms covering Architecture, Photography, Television, Astronomy and other areas. Our focus is the Transportation collection, which includes various planes and trains in addition to automobiles and lots of motorcycles. It is a varied collection with an emphasis on Czech manufacturers such as Tatra, Skoda, CZ, and Jawa, but also including other manufacturers. Pride of place for me goes to the unrestored 1938 Mercedes-Benz W154 grand prix car that was driven in many races by three time European champion Rudolf Caracciola. Not up to the standards of the Auto & Technik Museum at Sinsheim but if you’d like a break from the many other things to do in Prague it makes a nice change of pace and you’ll find things here that won’t be seen in other museums.
Škoda Museum, Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic ★★
This is the official museum of the Czech Republic’s only surviving manufacturer, which is currently owned by Volkswagen. The museum is small but nicely done. The primary shortcoming is the lack of meaningful technical or historical information. Guided tours are given, but mostly in Czech; audio guides are not offered. The cars on display are attractive but not in show ready condition. Not recommended for other than Škoda devotees.
