Among the mountainous landscapes of the Basque Country, stands the Loizaga Tower, a true jewel of Biscay’s architectural heritage that currently houses the Museum of Classic and Antique Cars. Thus, in addition to the history that has been woven over time within its walls, this 14th century fortress displays the most extensive Rolls-Royce collection in Europe. Owned by businessman and collector Miguel de la Vía, who died in 2009, it is a meeting point for motor lovers, where culture, technology and design converge as the echo of automotive innovation.
With an exhibition discourse articulated around six pavilions, the exhibition is made up of the 45 units that make up this legacy of the British brand, delimited by a Silver Ghost from 1910 and a Silver Spur from the 90’s; in addition to thirty European and American vehicles, such as the ’82 Lamborghini Countach, which guide us from the dawn of the automotive industry through one hundred years of history.
Around 1880, the German firms Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler had already managed to develop “the first reliable gasoline-powered vehicles, a replacement for the traditional steam and electric vehicles,” according to the museum’s website in relation to these automotive pioneers. . Now, in the first decade of the 20th century, France was the undisputed leader of the industry.
Thus, the first pavilion of the Museum shows those cars that were a direct competitor to the Rolls-Royce, such as the elegant Delaunay Belleville 10 HP, a classic from the “Belle Époque” considered the “Rolls of the French”. All this, at a time when each design was unique and the master coachbuilders had only the chassis and mechanical parts to let their imagination run wild.
In this line, great houses emerged such as Hispano-Suiza of Barcelona (1904), which sponsored the first era of motorsports and which, in 1910, managed to win the Grand Prix of Ostend and Boulogne, giving rise to mass production. of a model named after the king of Spain: the Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII.
The Miguel de la Vía Collection reflects the impact of cars on society, culture and the economy of the 20th century; as well as the changing meaning of a concept called “luxury.” In this sense, some of the most important pieces that make up the exhibition are the classic and exclusive Phantom, which came onto the market in 1925 to replace the original Silver Ghost (1910). Specifically, the Phantom IV is a model associated with heads of state and royalty, like the one from the 1950s that is kept in the museum and belonged to the Emir of Kuwait Abdula Al-Salim Al-Sabah.
Over time, social realities change and, therefore, so do automotive needs. Thus, during the interwar period the Phantoms moved away from the traditional model that incorporated the figure of the driver; and “Baby Rolls” emerged, vehicles intended for driver-owners, very popular among the growing middle class. Around 1965, the Silver Shadow marked the birth of the “Modern” Rolls-Royce, characterized by a stylistic simplicity hitherto unknown.
A lover of art and culture, Miguel de la Vía promoted the restoration of the Loizaga Tower, while searching for new examples of Rolls-Royce for his collection. Opened to the public in 2000, the complex has established itself as “a unique museum in the world where medieval times and mechanics, the history of a region and the evolution of the automobile merge.”
Of course, the origin of all this lies in the early interest of its creator in the world of motors. Thus, a pavilion dedicated to the cars that he himself used opens the way to understanding the lifestyle and tastes of the second half of the 20th century. Modern aesthetics and mass culture favored the rise of German sports cars, such as the emblematic Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, a model exhibited in the museum along with other automotive gems such as a BMW 635 CSI, the Italian Lancia Aprilia or a Porsche 911. Likewise, the collection is completed with iconic models such as the Jaguar E-Type and even a 1939 “Merrywheather” fire truck originally from Sussex.
