First Mazda-specific museum outside Japan opens in Augsburg, Germany

Mazda Classic Automobil-Museum Frey in Augsburg, Germany. Photos courtesy Mazda Europe.

The Frey family has been selling Mazda automobiles in the Augsburg, Germany, area since 1978, and it’s amassed quite a collection of rare and unusual examples from the Hiroshima, Japan, automaker. Instead of keeping these stored out of the public eye, the Frey family, with the endorsement and support of Mazda, has opened the brand’s very first classic car museum outside of Japan.

Mazda Classic Automobil-Museum Frey opened its doors to the public on May 13. Located in a former Augsburg tram depot that dates to 1897, the facility houses up to 50 vehicles that illustrate the brand’s evolution over its near 100-year history. In addition to the displays, the museum features a restaurant, gift shop and an event area, which the Frey family hopes will become a hub for classic car events in the area.

Some of the vehicles currently on display include a 1967 Cosmo Sport, discovered by founder Walter Frey in New Jersey in 1980; a 1969 Luce RX87; a 1992 RX-7; a 1960 R360, its first production passenger car; a 1962 K360 three-wheeled light delivery truck; a 1966 Familia 1000 coupe; a 1979 616, the first model sold in the German market; and a 1992 AZ-1, a mid-engine kei car designed and built by Suzuki, but sold through Mazda’s Autozam stores. The Frey family’s collection includes over 120 Mazdas, so plans are to rotate the displays on a regular basis.

Mazda Motor Corporation executive vice president Akira Marumoto, on hand for the museum’s ribbon cutting, said of the venue,

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

Mazda’s corporate museum, located near its factory and headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan, traces the history of the company from the 1920s to present day. Exhibits cover a wide range of vehicles, as well as technology (such as the rotary engine) advanced by Mazda over the decades. Concept vehicles are also displayed, and visitors can watch Mazda automobiles being built through an observation window that overlooks the assembly line. Admission to the museum is free, but reservations must be made in advance.

Mazda North America Operations, headquartered in Irvine, California, also maintains a collection of historic Mazda production and racing cars in the basement of its research and development facility, but public access is largely restricted. Instead, vehicles from this assortment are routinely shown at concours and vintage racing events.

For additional information on the Mazda Classic Automobil-Museum Frey, visit Mazda-Classic-Frey.De/En.