Mazda Museum in Germany

For the first time ever, car manufacturer Mazda has opened a museum outside of its home country, Japan. The museum, dubbed Mazda Classic – Automobil Museum Frey, is a joint project between Mazda Germany and the Frey family, owners of a German Mazda dealership, Auto Frey. Located in the university town of Ausburg, Germany, the museum houses vintage Mazdas from the company’s vast collection.

The museum is housed in a refurbished, converted train depot dating from 1897 in Angsburg, Bavaria. Officially opening this week, the centerpiece exhibit will be 45 classic Mazdas including a 1967 Cosmo Sport, a 1969 Luce R130, a 1966 Familia 1000 coupé, a 1976 Mazda 616 and a mid-engined AZ-1 sportscar from 1992.

Each of the vehicles on display comes from the Frey’s personal collection and many were restored personally by family members. Collecting Mazdas became a huge household passion and led to Patriarch Walter and his sons Markus and Joachim travelling the world in search of new rare finds. In fact, the collection currently runs to 120 vehicles, meaning that the display will be constantly refreshed and rotated so that regular visitors will always see something new.

“Uniquely impressive, the first Mazda museum outside Japan represents a dream come true for the Frey family to share with the public its one-of-a-kind collection of vintage Mazdas from around the world,” said Mazda Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Akira Marumoto.

“Everyone at Mazda headquarters is very proud that the Freys are a part of our organization and have created something so extraordinary,” Marumoto said.

The Mazda Classic – Automobile Museum Frey is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm.