SAVE THE DATE!!!

“Barber has accomplished this in six years. Don’t underestimate what he might do in the next six.” Those are the prophetic words of the late Phil Schilling, who penned “Mecca in Birmingham” for the July, 1997, issue of Cycle World magazine.

Schilling, as many Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum visitors may recall, was an editor at Cycle magazine from 1970 until 1988, including nine years as editor-in-chief. He died in 2015 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The Indiana native was perhaps best known for his collaboration with friend and colleague Cook Neilson. The intrepid duo won the 1977 Daytona Superbike race on a Ducati 750, known to all who followed the project as the “California Hot Rod.”

George Barber’s philosophy about the collection remains steadfast. “Barber believes people should see and hear them,” wrote Schilling. “To experience these live machines builds excitement and interest in historic motorcycles in ways statuary simply can’t.”

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The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is “dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, exhibition, and history of motorcycles, vintage vehicles, and motorsports.” Conservation Manager Ally Domar is responsible for the “preservation” aspect of the mission statement.

“Our approach keeps each story of our motorcycles and cars alive by protecting original materials, craftsmanship, and character,” she says. Prime examples include the 1911 Emblem, 1912 Harley-Davidson, 1912 Yale, 1914 Henderson, 1915 Iver Johnson, and 1916 Pope seen here.

“Using a thorough plan of gentle hands-on care and cleaning, minimal restoration, the use of internal and external preservation products to protect against corrosion, a climate-controlled space, and careful monitoring, we slow the effects of time while respecting their stories.”

Every step of the preservation process is documented to consider the authenticity and cultural significance of each machine in the museum. This careful balance allows generations of visitors to experience these vehicles as authentically as possible. Come see for yourself!

Photos: Joe Avila

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One year. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and 65 days. Whatever unit you use to describe the period the Earth needs to complete a lap around the sun, 2025 was an exciting time for anyone and everyone who visited Barber Motorsports Park and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber, and 20th annual Barber Vintage Festival were among the event highlights, while the museum’s dynamic education program led by Dr. Liz Johnson and the hiring of Conservation Manager Ally Domar point toward an exciting future.

All of the above—and much, much more—left a smile on our collective faces and hopefully yours, as well. Follow the link in our bio to the “Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum” YouTube page for one final glimpse at 2025. We’re looking forward to once again welcoming you into our home in 2026.

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Every vehicle in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum has its own unique story. Here’s an example: In 2012, the museum purchased two 1926 Harley-Davidson Model Bs. One of the overhead-valve singles had previously been restored, while the second needed work.

Late last year, Museum Preservation Technician Zeke DeZeeuw was performing an inspection on the latter machine when he peered inside the left-side fuel/oil tank and discovered a fragmented perforation. Was this “pea shooter” used for target practice?

A number of years ago, the museum sent the tins out for paint—a vibrant olive green, representative of when the bike was manufactured nearly a century ago, with red stripes on the tank and fenders. Until recently, however, no one knew about the bullet hole.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve discovered on a motorcycle that you purchased?

Photos: Joe Avila

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“Tower of Champions” is the name of the FIM MotoGP World Championship trophy crafted by Spanish artist Marc Garcia for series promoter Dorna. The carbon-fiber base is topped with individual silver plaques representing every premier-class champion since 1949. Presented to Kenny Roberts and Kenny Roberts Jr., these likenesses are displayed in the “World Champions” exhibit at the museum.

"The trophy project was a challenge for me because of its symbolism,” said Garcia. “Not only did it need to have a visual impact, but it also had to represent the values of the oldest motorcycle championship in the world, brought together with a single objective: to win and have their names written on the highest part of the trophy.”

The names of seven different American racers are etched on the original trophy, representing 15 premier-class titles: Kenny Roberts (1978, ’79, ’80), Freddie Spencer (1983, ’85), Eddie Lawson (1984, ’86, ’88, ’89), Wayne Rainey (1990, ’91, ’92), Kevin Schwantz (1993), Kenny Roberts Jr. (2000), and Nicky Hayden (2006).

Photos: Joe Avila

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