On Wednesday, 25th of May, on Dome Square in a celebration ceremony the engine of the replica of the World's oldest automobile Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in 1886, was started. This historic event begins the countdown to 2nd July, when the doors of the renovated museum will open to visitors.
“We can be proud of the fact that the replica of the World's first vehicle in working condition will be available here, in Latvia. 130 years ago, on the 3rd of July, the legendary car was first presented to the general public, and this day is considered as the day when the world automotive industry was born. Thus this vehicle was chosen as a symbol of the opening of the largest and the most modern motor museum in the Baltics – Riga Motor Museum,” said Gunārs Dortāns, the head of RMM Restoration department.
The renovated museum will open its doors to visitors in almost two months time, on the 2nd of July. During the large scale renovation works the building was completely rebuilt in accordance with modern requirements and gained larger and improved exhibition premises, a pleasant landscaped environment, as well as ease of access for every visitor.
Aivars Aksenoks, the director of RMM, is convinced that the museum will be able to surprise everyone: “We have done our best to turn the visit to the museum into an educating whole-day adventure. Exhibition is organized in a form of an exciting interactive story about unique vehicles, notable persons and the most significant events in the history of automotive industry and humanity alike. The World's first vehicle and other new additions will greatly improve this story.”
The exhibition will be located on three floors and cover an area of more than 4000 square meters. It will include the largest and most diverse collection of ancient vehicles in the Baltics with more than 100 unique automobiles and motorcycles. At the same time the museum will become a unique education and entertainment centre in Latvia, which will provide the visitors both with information and visual delight provided by modern multi-media solutions and technologies. The hall for changing exhibits and modern conference-rooms will ensure dynamic activity in the museum. A café and a playground for children will be available for visitors' convenience.
Riga Motor Museum was opened in 1989, and in 2016 the renovation of the building was finished, thus providing vast opportunities for the operation of the museum and visitors' convenience. More information is available on RMM web-site: www.motormuzejs.lv. When sharing these news on social media, please, use a hashtag #atklajmotormuzeju
Video - starting the engine of Benz Patent Motorwagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSYmQr2evv0
Photo gallery: http://www.motormuzejs.lv/index.php/en/about1/galleries/photo-gallery/event/BenzPatentMotorwagenreplikasprezentcija