A Car Lover’s Wonderland

(post by Ivan)

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always had a love for cars (which of course started with a couple of toy cars that my friends and I would push around on the floor, pretending we were racecar drivers). Cars have changed so much over the years, especially here in Croatia – up until the fall of communism, over 50% of the cars on the street were Zastavas (Yugoslavian car factory) – only those who left Croatia to work in rich, neighboring countries like Germany, Austria or Switzerland drove the finer cars like the ones hosted in the museum.

Although I’d been planning a trip to the “Ferdinand Budicki” Automobile Museum in Zagreb since it’s opening in 2013, it wasn’t until recently that I actually got around to visiting (a perfect activity on a rainy weekend). The museum gained popularity quite quickly and is frequently visited by both Croats and foreigners, alike.

The museum showcases old-fashioned cars (obviously!), as well as motorbikes, bicycles, ski gondolas, wagons, 3-wheelers and other motorized relics from the 20th century. On top of that, it displays many photographs, some really fascinating antiques like kitchen appliances and household items, and if that wasn’t enough, this place also holds technical workshops, lectures, kids workshops and the like.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to talk with the founder, Mr. Valentin Valjak. This classic car lover and enthusiast turned an old, dilapidated former factory building (one of the many old factories in Croatia that collapsed during the transition from communism to capitalism), into this wonderful, educational, car lover’s wonderland.

What’s really unique about the museum though, is that all of the cars are actually privately owned by local Croats who use the museum to house and store their vehicles, and most of them can actually be rented upon request!

Mr. Valjak decided to name the museum after Mr. Ferdinand Budicki, who in 1901, was apparently the first person to drive a motorized car in Zagreb. His 1899 Opel was an oddity among the horse-and-carriage filled streets of the city, and pedestrians watched in awe as his fancy vehicle went as fast as 30km (19mph) at top speed!

Fun fact – Mr. Budicki was issued the first driver’s license in Croatia which had the serial number, 1. He was also the first in Croatia to make a business of buying and selling cars, and with his enterprising spirit, did a lot for the progress and development motorized vehicles in the region.

While touring the museum, I also had the chance to see many rare cars from different periods. Personally, the most fascinating ones were the cars manufactured in the former Yugoslavia, like the “Ficek” (a Yugoslav version of the Fiat 500). Also, the old cars from the former Soviet bloc. are very intriguing when compared with today’s cars, which are a “miracle of technology.”

Definitely no GPS, automatic windows, mirrors or anything automatic for that matter, and no sound systems in sight (can we even call a simple radio dial a sound system on cars manufactured way back then?) – just a basic metal box on 4 wheels (well actually, sometimes only 3 wheels – pictured below!).

Some of the most valuable cars in the collection are the magnificent 1968 Jaguar E-type and the oldest Ford T from 1922 (which is the oldest car in Croatia). Unfortunately, during my visit they had lent that dreamboat out to the Technical Museum in Zagreb so I didn’t get a chance to revel in all its beauty – next time!

I think the car with the most interesting story is the 1967 Renalut 8. The car has absolutely no market value, but rather a great sentimental one – so great, in fact, that the former Croatian prime minister (involved and charged in a major corruption scandal), declared his ‘67 Renault 8 as the only vehicle to his name.

There are plenty of stories from the dozens of old-timers which make the museum well worth the visit – but I’ll let you discover the rest on your own. If you’re a car and history lover, and find yourself in Zagreb, I definitely recommend this small, unique museum. You’ll be able to experience the spirit of the times, and see what kind of cars Croats called their own in what now seem like ancient history.

-Ivan