The Musée Henri Malartre (Musée de l’automobile Henri Malartre) in Rochetaillée-sur-Saône, France, claims to be the oldest automobile museum in the country open to the public and displays mainly French vehicles from the pioneering and pre-war eras. In addition, historic bicycles, motorcycles and trams are on display. The museum has been housed in the 12th-century Rochetaillée Castle since 1959.
Collection
The museum has a beautiful collection of historical cars and shows the development form horse drawn carts to motorized vehicles. On display are various oldtimers and motorcycles and even one or two street cars, multiple Steam Carts like the Secrétand steam car (1890), electric cars like the Mildé electric car 1900, and the Bugatti type 46.
It also has a few very interesting vehicles of World War Two on display like a Mercedes-Benz W 150 II type 770K convertible German staff car from Adolf Hitler’s Obersalzberg and a German Zündapp KS 750 with Sidecar. The WW2 related collection is not numerous but the museum is awesome in collection and location.
Visit
Check out opening times on the museum website. Parking is free. The collection is fanned out over two buildings. A visit will take you an hour or two.
