Malta Classic Car Museum Review

Memories of Museums consist of trudging around grey fronted buildings, guided tours with volunteers dictating to the uninterested. On a recent trip a friend recommended the Malta Classic Car Collection saying it was ‘well worth a visit’ slightly understated but he was right.All eighty plus cars and bikes on show belong to Carlo Galea; the museum creator and his way to resolve the issue of having his cherished collection spread all over the Mediterranean Island. Carlo is a property developer by trade but his car collection is his life, he loves the opportunity to share the story behind his collection, takes time to ensure you enjoy the experience and generally makes a great host. He told me of how the need to bring the cars under one roof led him to dig down two floors below street level under one of his luxury apartment blocks.When you enter at ground level from Tourist Street you come through the small shop and café. Some-what unsure of what to expect we paid the small 7 euro entry and descended the stairs below ground. Superbly lit the collection was well laid out with room to walk around them and very few ‘roped off’ areas which is usual for a collection of this stature. I questioned this decision when I spoke to Carlo later and he said that people who appreciate classic and historic vehicles treat them with respect and care, having them placed without being cordoned off works for him and the patron can admire the machine from all angles; here only the very best have a small red rope around them.The positioning of the cars has been carefully thought out and each area has pictures on the wall that reflect the car or its time. Petrol pumps and juke boxes, shop fronts and glass display cabinets adorn the two floors.The cars vary from the finest E Type and Concours winning TR3 to a Trabant P60 and BMW 700 saloon that has been left an unrestored ‘barn find’. Unlike the raging temperature outside, underground the air conditioning kept it comfortable; the vehicles and all in fantastic condition and the details of each are posted near or on the screen. Carlo told me the museum was constantly evolving with new cars coming in so I have listed some of the cars on show when we visited. With screens playing footage of rare cars and events such as the Mille Miglia and mannequins in period clothing, there is something for everyone to talk about. So, when you are bored with the beach check out ‘The Malta Classic Car Collection’ in Qawra; look out for Carlo Galea his stories are worth the entry fee alone and he loves to share them. The best £6.00 I spent in the Mediterranean. Article and images kindly provided by Grant Ford.Tags: Classic Car Museum