Villach Collection

Rudolf Pirker didn't collect trophies. He collected memories on wheels. What began in 1962 as a rescue mission – saving retired, rusted vehicles from the scrapyard – became over six decades one of the most authentic collections of European everyday mobility. No luxury limousines, no status symbols. Instead: Goggomobils, Lloyd city cars, BMW Isettas, Puch motorcycles and Lohner scooters – vehicles that meant freedom, independence and the start of a new life for millions.

In 1987, the Villach Classic Car Museum opened its doors on the Draupromenade. After 20 years, it moved to a larger building in Villach-Zauchen with 1,000m² exhibition space, expanded to double that size in 2015/16. Together with his sons Kurti and Rudi, Rudolf Pirker restored the vehicles, built a workshop, and created a place where adults rediscovered memories and young people learned what mobility once looked like.

After Rudolf Pirker's death in 2022, the question arose that eventually faces many collections: What happens when the person who held it all together is gone? The answer was deliberate: no preservation, no gathering dust. Instead: passing on. The over 200 vehicles now find new owners – people with their own ideas of happiness on wheels. A rare opportunity to become part of a living history.