Auto World in Brussels--300 cars from 1896 to Today

In a huge complex of buildings connected to a park is AutoWorld Brussels.  The museum is near a huge stone arch commemorating Belgian independence and opposite another huge museum of Belgian military history. Another large museum of fine arts and antiquities is on the other side of the arch.

Auto World displays 300 cars and motorcycles from 1896 to the present.  Belgium has no history of making cars, but this small country is at the center of northern Europe and is also the political center of the European Union and NATO. Belgium is also a center of racing. The Spa-Francorchamps race track is considered the best track, especially by drivers, in the Formula 1 World Championship. 

Just inside the entrance of the museum was a display of new Bugatti luxury high-performance cars costing $3 million to $5 million and other models made over the past century.

2020 Bugatti Centodieci, W16, 4-turbo, 1600-horsepower, 380kmh top speed

2021 La Voiture Noire, W16, 4-turbo, 1600-horsepower, 420kmh top speed

Bugatti luxury cars from the 1920s and 30s

Bugatti race car from the 1930s

Little Cars and car shop dioramas ringed the main display area.

Trabant

A bright red Jeep

1968 Honda S800

1954 Moretti Grand Sport Berlinetta, 748cc, 71hp

1951 Renault R4 CV 750cc, 17hp

Garage dioramas

Renault 2CV

Strange little cars

The "White House" of the European Union

 Almost a decade ago, Nina Wolff wrote a biography of her father, based upon a trove of letters he gave her shortly before he died. Now she is writing the biography of an immense building in the Schuman area of Brussels which is arguably the "White House" of the European Union: the Residence Palace.

The building figures prominently in Wolff's book about her father. It was built in 1927 as a huge residential complex with a swimming pool, a 500-seat theater and all the services of a small city.  Wolff's family lived there before they began their arduous escape from Brussels to France to America from that building. 

During World War II, the huge building became the headquarters of the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe--Nazis took the best places for themselves in conquered countries.  Because the building was full of Nazis it attracted spies adding to its lore.

Much of the original structure has been replaced by modern buildings. Notable is a building with windows from all over Europe fit together in a giant jigsaw puzzle as a symbol of the European Union bringing together all of Europe.

 The book about Nina Wolff's father, his escape from Nazi-occupied France as a teenager and his service in the U.S. Army a few years later is in the book "Someday You Will Understand: My Father's Private World War II." I wrote about the book and how an Axl Rose t-shirt started a discussion about The Holocaust.