About the museum

The aim of the Museum is to give a comprehensive overview of what the automobile industry has produced since 1887. Without a doubt the automobile has completely transformed our lives. It has become an icon of modern life. It is one of the most important inventions of the 19th and  20th century.

Over 80 years ago the Louwman family recognised the importance of the motor car and decided to keep the highlights of motoring history so far for future generations. The Louwman Museum in fact dates back to 1934. Since then we have regularly added vehicles and over the years have gradually refined the collection. Today there are over 275 historic and classic motor cars in our museum. We do not aim to be all-encompassing – the motor industry has produced far too many cars over the past 130 years for that to be feasible. What we have done is compile a well-balanced collection of motor vehicles with a view to presenting a clear and fascinating overview of the history of the motor car.

The Louwman Museum was opened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix on 2 July 2010.