Is it permitted to take photographs or videos?

You are welcome to take photos or videos during your visit. Donʼt forget to add them to our Facebook page. Photos or videos for commercial use must be arranged in advance with the trustees.

Is the museum accessible to wheelchair users?

All the halls and galleries are easily accessed by wheelchair with the single exception of the Panorama viewing platform. A “Rollator” is available for visitor use, free-of-charge.

Can I pay with a credit card?

Regretfully not, but groups can prepay in advance.

Iʼm getting married/organizing a golden wedding anniversary/celebrating an important event.

You are welcome to hold a photo shoot at Mahymobiles (by prior arrangement, please), but we donʼt organize banquets or hire cars.

Are dogs allowed in the Museum?

Dogs are allowed, provided they are kept on a lead.

1000 cars - thatʼs amazing - are they all on display?

Over 300 cars are on permanent display at Mahymobiles in Leuze-en-Hainaut and a further 200 or on display in Brussels at Autoworld. Oldtimers stored in reserve are exchanged frequently with vehicles on display.

So how big is Mahymobiles?

The Mahymobiles exhibition centre covers a total of 20,000 square meters, containing 18 halls. Of these 6 are open to the public. The Centre is surrounded 12 acres of car parks and green belt.

What types of vehicles are stored in the reserve collection?

Automobiles from every era and every continent are kept in the reserve collection, whilst careful conservation takes place. Condition varies between near-perfect and requiring ground-up restoration. All the vehicles are subject to periodic cleaning and treatment with preservatives. Full restorations and/or conservation are carried out by volunteers so the process is inevitably slow. Between Mahymobiles and Autoworld approximately half of the collection has been fully restored.

Iʼm searching for information or illustrations about a particular model. Can the Museum help me?

The Museum maintains an extremely extensive library of photos, magazines, brochures, manuals, technical material etc.- some 4,1/2 tons in total! For a small donation a volunteer archivist will try to track down the material you need and photocopy it.

Where are the vehicles restored/maintained?

We have a large restoration workshop which is nearing completion. Our current priority is light re-commissioning of cars first restored some years ago. Clearly, a vital task for conservators, who are all volunteers, is keeping rust, woodworm, and, in some cases, moths at bay. We are aware of the dangers of over restoration and try to maintain the normal used patina of the vehicles.

Do you hold courses in restoration techniques?

Almost all of the vehicles on display in the main halls - some 250 in total - were restored by the Mahy family with the help of friends and volunteers. The Museum does not offer courses in restoration because we believe that volunteering is the best route to acquiring these skills.

Iʼm looking for a missing part for my restoration project. Can you help?

We have acquired many tons of spares over the years, most of which are vital to cars in the collection. We would like to help, but we donʼt have the manpower or facilities to locate exactly what you need. If you are looking for technical information, perhaps our archivist can help.

How do I become a volunteer at Mahymobiles?

For anybody with a interest in the preservation of this extraordinary heritage, a warm welcome awaits in Leuze-en-Hainaut. You donʼt require specific skills to volunteer but do need a ʻcan doʼ attitude and a willingness to work in a team. When you work is up to you and you can usually find a task suited to your interests e.g. mechanics (experienced or beginner), panel beaters (experienced or beginner), guides (all languages), researcher, archivist, publicist etc. Just call in during our opening hours or send an email to [email protected]

I would like to make a donation to the collection

Many of the vehicles in the collection were saved from destruction by the founder of the collection, the late Ghislain Mahy. Vehicles now considered extremely valuable almost became scrap but for the intervention of Ghislain and some generous donors. The Mahy Foundation maintains this tradition and welcomes donations of cars or other vehicles, spare parts, tools literature and other automobilia. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization and is currently seeking charitable status. If you own an oldtimer or piece of motoring history and think that it would be in good hands at Mahymobiles, then please donʼt hesitate to contact us.

Where does the Museum find vehicles for the collection?

Many classic car enthusiasts wish that they had kept the vehicles which they were familiar with or drove when they were young. Ghislain Mahy was a visionary who did just that.

During the 1950s and 1960s he bought old vehicles for their scrap value and stored them away. He travelled to early auctions and auto jumbles in a old breakdown wagon with two trailers and brought back cars from all over Europe. Gradually, as his collection became better known, individuals would donate cars, and, since 1995, the Foundation has purchased very few vehicles.

Are cars in the collection roadworthy?

Almost all of the cars in the main hall and a small proportion of vehicles in the reserve

collection are roadworthy. Many are kept on axle stands to preserve the tyres. Batteries have been removed and petrol drained to comply with safety legislation, so all would need light re-commissioning for use on public roads.

Does the Museum ever sell cars?

The short answer is no. Very occasionally the trustees rationalize the collection by selling doubles to make room for more modern classics.

May I make a financial donation to the work of the Museum?

With pleasure. If you need advice on charitable giving or leaving a bequest, please contact us on [email protected]