Early Modern · Architecture

Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne

Reims

Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne is an automotive museum in Reims whose present collection includes about 230 vehicles, among them 160 cars and 90 two-wheelers. It also displays 7,000 miniatures, 120 pedal cars, and 170 enamel signs, and ranks among the five largest automotive museums in France by number of displayed objects. The oldest vehicle in the collection is a Lacroix-de-Laville “Nef” from 1903. The museum presents brands including Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Delage, Peugeot, Renault, Porsche, and Talbot, as well as vintage motorcycles from makers such as BSA, Motobécane, Norton, and Triumph. Dedicated sections are reserved for miniature cars, toys, and vintage pedal cars. Notable items include a 1908 D.F.P. 1100cc model, a 1951 Tandem Derny, an advertising vehicle based on a Citroën Type HY coachwork around 1960, and a miniature fire truck model. The museum’s continuity was ensured by the association Salon des Collections Automobiles Rémois after Philippe Charbonneaux’s death in 1998.

Map showing the location of Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne in Reims
Location of Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne in Reims

Nearby Objects

History of the Reims-Champagne Collection

The first museum for the collection was created by Historique near Saint-Dizier in 1970. In 1985, Historique transferred the collection to Reims. At its peak, the collection contained about 140 vehicles. After Philippe Charbonneaux's death in 1998, continuity of the museum was ensured by the association Salon des Collections Automobiles Reimois. Over time, vehicles from the collection were gradually sold by Historique or by heirs after his death. In 2016, seventeen remaining exhibited vehicles were transferred to the Cite de l'Automobile-Collection Schlumpf in Mulhouse following a family bequest.

Collection and Display

The Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne presents a large and varied collection of vehicles and related objects. Its display includes about 230 vehicles, made up of 160 cars and 90 two-wheelers, together with 7,000 miniatures, 120 pedal cars, and 170 enamel signs. By the number of displayed objects, it ranks among the five largest automotive museums in France.

The collection covers a wide range of brands, including Alfa Romeo, Citro and, Fiat, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Simca, and Talbot, as well as many other manufacturers. The motorcycle collection includes vintage machines from brands such as BSA, Motobecane, Norton, NSU, Terrot, and Triumph. The oldest vehicle in the collection is a Lacroix-de-Laville Nef from 1903, and other notable pieces include a 1908 D.F.P. 1100cc model, a 1951 Tandem Derny, and an advertising vehicle based on a Citroen Type HY coachwork from around 1960, designed by Philippe Charbonneaux.

The museum also has specific sections dedicated to miniature cars, toys, and vintage pedal cars. Among the smaller exhibits is a miniature fire truck model.