Large Fire Destroys Just one of Europe’s Greatest Motorcycle Museums, Innumerable Historic Bikes

This yr isn’t really specifically off to a great begin, and potentially at the expense of earning it truly feel a tiny worse, we’re afraid we have far more undesirable information. One of Europe’s greatest historic motorcycle displays, the Top Motorbike Museum in Hochgurgl, Austria, has been torched in a fireplace, along with numerous of the extra than 200 historic bikes and many autos. 

The hearth, which started someday about four in the early morning, immediately distribute all through the picket constructing, engulfing the complete framework in a practically uncontrollable blaze. The firefighting efforts had been hampered by the lower temperatures in the Alps exactly where the museum is located as nicely. A water source for a regional ski area’s snowmaking equipment was tapped to help greater firefighting capability at the web page, even though the damage completed was nonetheless immense. Incredibly handful of vehicles created it out of the flames.

On the lookout at the inside of the 32,000-square-foot museum, you can commence to get an idea of what was shed. Not only were there around 230 historic motorcycles from more than 100 various manufacturers, but numerous unusual and important vehicles as well. The vehicles very likely missing contain an Aston Martin DB5, a vintage Alfa Romeo 8C racer from close to 1930, numerous motorcycle-engined microcars, a eco-friendly Porsche 959 and a Pininfarina-bodied Ferrari 250. Other classics are surely between those missing as effectively.

Thankfully, no injuries have been noted, and the cause of the fireplace is nevertheless unidentified. The museum was opened just 5 years in the past by twin brothers Alban and Attila Scheiber, each existence-extensive bike lovers. In a November 2016 report in The Telegraph, Alban was quoted as expressing, “My brother and I have normally loved outdated bikes. When our assortment experienced grown to about 20 or 30 we thought about producing our personal museum. This is our way of creating this desire come true.”

Certainly, a coronary heart-crushing way to start out 2021. 

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