Autoworld Museum, Brussels, Belgium
Until April 21, 2025
After the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, it’s Autoworld Brussels’ turn to celebrate the world of rallying with the “Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory” exhibition. While the 2 exhibitions feature a number of rally icons, it’s interesting to note that they also present different cars. You can visit both without feeling like you’ve seen it all before.
No doubt such an exhibition requires a few months’ preparation, but this theme in Brussels comes at just the right time to celebrate the first Belgian World Rally Champion, since Thierry Neuville finally reached the grail in 2024, after having finished on the championship podium several times. Some fifteen cars are on display, from the Alpine Renault A110, the first “official” World Champion since the World Championship was created in 1973 by the FIA, succeeding an “International Championship”. In a very different style from the light and twirling Alpine Berlinette, the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally has won 3 titles (1977, 1978 and 1980).
Lancia is the most successful brand, and the 3 models that have won 10 titles for the Italian manufacturer are present, with the Stratos HF, the 037, the last rear-wheel drive to win the title, which managed to hold off the Audi Quattro in 1983 (represented in the exhibition by the impressive S1), and the Delta Integrale, 6 titles on its own in its various variants from 1987 to 1992.
It succeeded the famous Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Groupe B champion in 1985 and 1986.
This Lancia period was followed by a “Japanese” era, with in particular Toyota (Celica then Corolla) and Subaru (Impreza).
The more recent period is illustrated by 3 cars driven by local hero Thierry Neuville, the Citroën DS3 WRC with which he made his WRC debut, the 2013 Ford Fiesta RS WRC and, of course, the Hyundai i20N WRC of the 2024 world title.
Thierry was the star of the inauguration party, with interviews, meetings with fans, autographs and photos!
Let’s not forget Belgian driver Pascal Gaban’s Group N Mazda 323, with which he won the Group N World Rally Championship (P-WRC) in 1988. In keeping with the exhibition’s title, the cars are lined up on track strips, and large photos of the cars in action in spectacular rally situations provide the decor.
As always at Autoworld, showcases display numerous miniature rally models, and the museum store offers a selection of books, miniatures and objects in keeping with the exhibition theme. A gaming area with simulators allows visitors to practice their driving skills.
Finally, on the museum’s website, you can find a history of rallying from its origins in several priods, or rather in several “special stages” as they say in rallying!
Copyright Photos: © Benjamin Brolet https://benjaminbrolet.com/, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the owner.