Louwman. A man and his collection

Everything is carefully thought out, explained and positioned, in a magnificent location on the outskirts of The Hague, so much so that you are convinced you’re in the palace of a cultured gentleman who loves the things he collects and takes pleasure in having them discovered by his many visitors. An experience well worth a visit which, intentionally, we present more with symbols than with magnificent cars which there are many of , each in perfect condition, can be seen there or at events, Concours d'Elegance competitions or at the races he participates in.

By Jürgen Lewandowski

Keep it simple

– the mantra of Evert Louwman, collector extraordinaire and founder of one of the most important automobile museums in the world. This can’t be stated enough, particularly when you consider how he managed to build a Dutch automotive empire from the Dodge and De Soto agency founded by his father in 1924, a company that now employs 3,200 people.

Evert Louwman: “It certainly wasn’t planned this way. It just happened and we always tried to seize the opportunities that came our way. We always kept our feet on the ground by listening to our customers and employees. No complicated communication channels – keep it simple".

Perhaps Evert Louwman seemed destined to take this path in life, his father started collecting automobiles in 1923. When he took over the company in 1969, there were about 70 cars; these were the foundation of a fascinating collection. There are now 270 of these cars on display at the Louwman Museum in The Hague.

Evert Louwman: “Growing up with cars, you can take them for granted. But soon there’s this urge to perfect the collection, giving it a personal touch. Today, the museum is the quintessence of my passion for telling the story of mobility. From the 18th century Portuguese Traquitana carriage, to the vehicles of the 1960s that ushered in an age of mass mobility. We also show the magnificent luxury cars of the 1930s, while highlighting the discrepancy between the typical US vehicles of the 50s and the micro vehicles that helped kick-start the European economies in this decade.“

Evert Louwman also sees the museum as serving an educational function – there are guided tours for children of all

ages, for school pupils and students, to ignite a passion for technology. This is also one of the reasons why the museum has a large number of cars that have made technological history. One of these is the legendary Spyker 60 HP racing car, the world’s first car with a six cylinder engine, four-wheel drive and brakes on all four wheels. Built by Jacobus Spyker in 1903, this is a milestone in automobile history. Then there is the Armstrong, built in 1896 in the US and unknown to the general public.

Evert Louwman: “Here we have the world’s first hybrid car, where a battery starts the combustion engine, which also charges the battery. And when it tackles a mountain, the electric engine supports the combustion, giving more power.”

Of course, this ingenious piece of technology became so expensive that the Armstrong Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut had to file for bankruptcy after building the prototype – it is precisely these cars that Evert Louwman tirelessly looks out for: testaments of human ingenuity.

That is why The Hague probably holds the world’s best collection of cars that conquered the rudimentary road network from 1887 onwards: here you can see a collection of these ancestral beasts built by the founding fathers. Some of the vehicles originate from René Panhard & Èmile Levassor, Armand Peugeot, De-Dion-Bouton, plus there are a large number of earlier models by Carl Benz. There are also more obscure makes, such as the American Buffum, Holsman, and of course, Ford T-Model. In The Hague, nearly every aspect is covered – here you can find steam and electric cars. At one time there would have been many more on the road at dawn than we can imagine today.

Evert Louwman: “Of course, it is fascinating to see how human inventiveness forever seeks permanent solutions –

1936 MercedesBenz 500K Spezial Roadster.

1964 James Bond Aston Martin DB5.

1956 Jaguar D-Type XKD 606.

1957 Maserati 300S.

and often finds them. They don’t always have to be successful. They have often failed due to lack of expertise: how many engines melted on the testing bench because they didn’t use the right alloys – but people still looked for solutions. Their curiosity always got the better of them”.

Evert Louwman is fascinated by these technological shifts and he also sees his museum as transmitting this store of knowledge to a younger generation for whom an electric starter, air conditioning, navigation system and four-wheel drive are taken for granted.

Keep it simple: It should be a museum for the family, where everyone has fun, learns and remembers something. This is also one of the reasons why the museum, inaugurated on 2 July 2010 by the Dutch Queen Beatrix, was founded:

Evert Louwman: “When observing my visitors at the exit, I see the fathers interested in the cars of their youth, the exotic models and the racing cars, while the wives at the entrance – who usually give the impression of having been persuaded to go to the museum- are fascinated by the design and colours of the cars as well as the interiors of Voisin’s art deco models. Kids love everything anyway – the strange cars, the walls full of old toys. The families go home happy - they have seen a lot and have a lot to talk about“.

Visiting the Louwman Museum for the first time is like overdosing on the finest champagne. So many cars, cleverly organised into thematic blocks, tantalise the eyes and senses – waking memories, celebrating desires. Where else can you see early racing cars? A Napier with 13 litres displacement and 100 hp from 1903. A Benz racing car from 1910 that took part in the legendary Prinz Heinrich tour? A Lagonda that won the 1935 Le Mans. A Jaguar D Type, winner of Le Mans 1957. Maserati racing cars, Ferraris, Alfa Romeo jewels, the only surviving Lancia D23 from 1953. Group C racing

cars, CanAm shells – plus vehicles from films: the incomparable Aston Martin DB 5 from Goldfinger, cars from The Godfather, cars belonging to Elvis Presley and Winston Churchill – one day just isn’t enough to take it all in, let alone commit to memory. The museum is a fascinating mixture of everything – but is there a strategy behind it?

Evert Louwman: “Over the years, I thought about what cars were relevant for development – maybe this was my strategy. That’s probably why there are also so many vintage vehicles. Their diversity was the breeding ground for the evolution of the automobile. Then came the milestones: the Spyker, a Lancia Lambda, the VW Beetle. But also the Bugatti and French masterpieces from the bodywork companies Figoni & Falaschi, Saoutchik, Pourtout and Henri Chapronare are a major part of it, as is the completely original Mercedes-Benz SSK or the 500 K Special Roadster. And of course, there is the only existing Toyota AA from 1936 that we found, after a long search, on a farm in Siberia – not even Toyota owns a pre-war car. Once you start collecting, you just can’t stop “.

The Louwman Museum showcases the obsession of a man who was fortunate enough to have the time and patience to be able to collect everything to do with the self-mover - the translation of automobile - over the decades: posters, paintings, trophies, busts, camping equipment, children’s toys, books and even an old workshop, such as that of the Spyker company, which was rebuilt like the 1:1 scale original in the museum, all showing the circumstances in which the pioneers realised their strokes of genius. Keep it simple.

Perhaps this is Evert Louwman’s greatest legacy: the family has been collecting artefacts for nearly 90 years, much of which would otherwise have been lost – he saved them in his museum, so that people can remember, enjoy, learn and marvel.

1876 Otto cycle engine.

Electric or Verstappen?

A question that Evert Louwman finds difficult to answer – collections of this quality are always influenced by personal preferences. Are there any models he wouldn’t acquire?

Evert Louwman: “Of course, the Ferrari models of the 50s and 60s are fascinating, but we only have a few examples that cover this period, including the Ferrari 500 Superfast, which Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands acquired in 1965. Otherwise, they have become too expensive – just as a McLaren F1 is out of the question for me“.

This argument can also be used against purchasing a Red Bull Honda Formula 1 car of Max Verstappen, even if the car would attract many Dutch fans to the museum.

Evert Louwman: “it’s too expensive. I’d rather just dream about other vehicles, which I would never publically name of course, because the prices just increase even more.”

Evert Louwman: About the prices. “I remember driving across the country with my father back in the 50s and 60s hunting down old cars. At that time, no one wanted to have them. We were sometimes able to take them or at least pay the scrap price”.

How should his collection develop at a time when the mobility sector is experiencing such radical change, during times when the internal combustion engine is obviously being phased out to make way for electric car?

1896 Armstrong Petrol Electric Hybrid Car.

Evert Louwman: “If a manufacturer makes a real technical breakthrough today, then you could consider one or the other car, but for me, a Tesla isn’t really a technical breakthrough. Electric cars have always existed. Like steam vehicles they competed with combustion engines. Petrol, as well as diesel engines won the battle back then. Now electric cars are making a comeback, but that has little effect on our museum- here you can look at the history of this technology, that’s more important to me. Today’s history should be followed and documented by others”.

Evert Louwman has only ever collected what he considered important for the technical and aesthetic evolution of cars and what suited his taste. Over the years, he discovered new themes, learned and listened to some good consultants. Unlike other collectors, he was also able to part with vehicles that didn’t meet up to his requirements. All of this is enriched by the many works of art accompanying this evolution, irrespective of whether it’s a three-dimensional piece, painted on canvas or printed on paper.

Perhaps this explains why such a great museum was founded in The Hague, out of love for the automobile and the decision to document this evolution: Evert Louwman has provided a fascinating intellectual shield for a carefully crafted collection. ■

1908 Baker Electric Roadster. 1906 Stanley Steam Propulsion.