Car museums & collections in France

A private museum opened in 2017 in Châtillon-Coligny exhibiting roughly 80-100 sports cars from the 1950s through 1990s, alongside vintage motorcycles and scale-model collections.

A château near Beaune housing around 250 vintage motorcycles (1902-1960), one of the world's rare Abarth prototype racing car collections (around 30 models), and nearly 100 fighter aircraft displayed in the grounds.

France's first private Citroën-dedicated museum, founded by collector Henri Fradet in Castellane, exhibiting over 120 low-mileage, largely unrestored Citroën vehicles produced between 1938 and 1998.

Housed in a former Mulhouse spinning mill, this museum displays the Schlumpf brothers' collection of over 400 vehicles, the largest single automobile collection in the world. It holds the world's largest collection of Bugatti automobiles, including three Bugatti Royales.

Citroën's manufacturer heritage collection of roughly 370 vehicles, formerly housed at a 6,500 m² site adjacent to the Aulnay-sous-Bois plant, was permanently closed to visitors on 30 June 2024 after the land was reclaimed for redevelopment.

A municipal museum in Romorantin-Lanthenay dedicated to Matra Automobile, which built cars locally from the 1960s until 2003. Spanning over 3,000 m², it covers Matra's origins, competition history, series production and prototypes.

This foundation preserves the heritage of Lyon-based truck, bus and industrial-vehicle manufacturer Berliet (founded 1899, later absorbed into Renault Véhicules Industriels). Its Conservatoire, a 7,200 m² building in Le Montellier (Ain), holds around 280 restored vehicles spanning 30 marques from 1886 to today.

L'Aventure Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand is Michelin's corporate museum tracing the history of the tire manufacturer and its impact on mobility and motorsport since 1889. The 2,000 m² scenographic exhibit covers pneumatic tire invention, transportation history, and the Bibendum mascot.

A 'living museum' of vintage motorcycles opened in April 2013 in Bantzenheim, built around the donated Lemoine Collection of 90 vintage machines, operated by Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération.

A municipal museum on the site of the former Châtellerault arms manufactory (a classified historic monument), renamed from 'Musée Auto Moto Vélo' in 2019. Its transportation section displays over 200 vehicles and objects from the early 19th century to the 2000s.

Formerly the Musée des 24 Heures du Mans, this motorsport museum beside the Circuit de la Sarthe was fully rebuilt and rebranded as 'M24', reopening on 28 May 2026 under a joint venture between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and Richard Mille, broadening its scope beyond Le Mans to Formula 1, rally and IndyCar.

Founded in 1985 by Michel Hommell in a 17th-century manor adjoining the Circuit de Lohéac, this private museum displays over 400 vehicles across 15,000 m², including dedicated Ferrari and Lamborghini rooms and an 18-car Formula 1 starting grid.

A private collection near Serres assembled by local enthusiast Michel Mouttet, covering cars, motorcycles, agricultural equipment and WWI/WWII-era objects from 1898 to the present.

Founded in 1967 by driver and collector Pierre Delliere in Orgon, this museum displayed vintage cars, motorcycles and curiosities. It closed permanently around September 2022 after more than 50 years, and the site has since been redeveloped for housing.

Founded by collector André Sagne and opened on 2 April 1994, this museum exhibited around 60 pre-1940 French vehicles including Bugatti, Hotchkiss, Panhard-Levassor and Lorraine-Dietrich models. It closed permanently in 2004.

This museum displays over 150 vintage vehicles spanning roughly forty marques, including an 1885 De Dion-Bouton steam car, within a 3,300 m² hall furnished with period posters and accessories.

An associative museum founded in 1985 by enthusiasts to continue the collection of automotive designer Philippe Charbonneaux, originally the 'Centre Historique de l'Automobile Française'. It is one of the largest private vehicle collections in France.

France's first automobile museum, opened in 1960 inside the 12th-century Château de Rochetaillée near Lyon, based on the collection assembled by Henri Malartre. It displays around 150 cars (1890-1986), 40 motorcycles, and Lyon public-transport vehicles.

Located in Sochaux beside the Peugeot factory, this museum traces the 200-year industrial history of the Peugeot family enterprise, from tools, bicycles and sewing machines to automobiles. It displays over 100 vehicles spanning the marque's history.

An association-run museum founded in 1998 and relocated in 2011 into part of the former Vallérysthal crystal factory in Troisfontaines. It is billed as the world's largest Citroën 2CV collection.

A municipal history museum in a former Carthusian monastery in Molsheim, which also houses the Fondation Bugatti honoring Ettore Bugatti, whose automobile factory has stood on the town's edge since 1909.

A private collection of over 400 vintage motorcycles, sidecars, mopeds, scooters and bicycles (1905-1985) across 2,000 m² in Riom, built by collector Guy Baster.

A municipal motorcycle museum operated by the City of Marseille, housed in a former flour mill, tracing motorcycle history from 1885 to the present with over 250 machines.

A private museum near the Périgord Noir/Quercy area founded by collector Benoît Jouclar, combining agricultural machinery with automobiles and two-wheelers.

Formerly France's largest private heavy-truck collection, assembled by Jacques Passenaud (1932-2022) in Cormenon. After his death, the roughly 190-lot collection (72 major vehicles plus engines and accessories) was fully dispersed at a public auction on 30 September 2023.

A large privately-owned eclectic collection at the Moulin de Marnay near Azay-le-Rideau, assembled by collector Maurice Dufresne, spanning vintage cars, motorcycles, bicycles, aircraft, trucks, tractors, and military and agricultural machinery from the 1850s to 1950s.

A museum in Melle dedicated to the Monet & Goyon motorcycle marque, built from the Gagnaire family collection, displaying 60 fully restored machines produced between 1917 and 1959.

Founded in 1927 by the Touring Club de France and housed within the Château de Compiègne, this French national museum documents the transition from horse-drawn carriages to early motorized transport.

A 'living museum' near Jallais (Beaupréau-en-Mauges) with over 100 collectible and prestige vehicles - including Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Jaguar and Lamborghini models - and motorcycles, distinguished by allowing visitors to drive select cars with an instructor.

Renault's heritage vehicle collection of over 700 cars is currently stored within the Flins factory and is not open to the public. Renault has announced an 11,500 m² public museum, working name 'Les Collections', to open at Flins-sur-Seine by around 2027.