Ghislain Mahy was only 25 when he set up shop as a used car dealer in Ghent. He quickly proved he had a keen eye for valuable classic cars. On the eve of World War II, he bought his first classic car, a Ford Model T, for 150 Belgian francs. This laid the foundation for one of the most extensive classic car collections in the world. After the war, he purchased the Winter Circus in Ghent and transformed it into an ambitious garage. His collection had now grown to 35 exclusive cars. Ghislain passed on his love of vintage cars to his eldest son, Ivan, with whom he restored over 250 classic cars over a period of 40 years.

To share their passion with the general public, father and son Mahy sought and found an old factory, which, with some renovations, they could transform into an automotive museum. Their collection—which now numbered over 1,000 cars—was housed there, along with an extensive library, and opened to the public.