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Barber of Birmingham
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George Barber
Jan Morgan
12/01/2003
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Photography by Jan Morgan
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Designed by
Barber himself, the museum building reveals his strong background in art and
architecture. The layout finds its influences in the Guggenheim’s famous spiral
walkway and in an open parking garage where visitors initially view a panorama
of multiple floor levels displaying the many machines.
 This is a “living
museum,” where all of the machines are in running condition and require periodic
exercise. What was planned as a small track to run and test the museum’s
inventory instead became a full 2.38-mile, 16-turn professional racecourse.
Beautifully landscaped, the circuit is a fine ribbon of tarmac that follows the
terrain, with 80 feet of elevation change and wide run-offs for safety. It has
hosted professional automotive and motorcycle race series and appropriately, the
Porsche Driving Experience. (Click image to enlarge)
The museum has a unique layout that satisfies
both informed enthusiasts and those with general interest. “There is no specific
time line for the exhibits,” says curator Ray. “It is not a ‘follow the green
line’ type of display. We try to create a gallery setting as much as possible.”
Some are grouped according to era, while there are also some diorama exhibits.
One such is Daytona Banking, featuring bikes raced at that famous venue
including those from the beach course era. “For instance, if you were interested
in Triumph motorcycles, you would not find all of them in one exhibit. They
would be displayed along with other machines of their particular era or type,”
he says.
As one enters the building the first bikes encountered are mounted
on shelves attached to the walls. This type of display is used effectively
throughout to showcase entire genres of motorcycles. “It was a space-saving
method that we liked at the old facility and continue to use,” Ray says. “We
also had many of the bikes in glass cases, but at the new facility we have
enough room that they can be shown out in the open where a visitor can walk
right up to them.”
 The sheer depth of the collection is incredible. Starting
from the earliest prototype bikes, the exhibits go through nearly every type of
racer and road bike from each era right up to the newest production offerings.
For example, there are several very rare MV Agusta race bikes, the dominant
marque in GP racing until the mid-‘70s when the company retired from
competition. Here, a 500cc MV four-cylinder of the type ridden by motorcycle and
Formula One World Champion John Surtees can be seen close-up. Joining it soon
will be one of his racing Ferraris, currently down in the maintenance shop
waiting for its body to be reinstalled prior to a test run on the
track. (Click image to enlarge)
Although motorcycles dominate the museum, Barber by no means gave up
his love of car collecting. When he found he could purchase an entire fleet of
consequential Lotus race cars for the cost of two or three Porsches, he took the
pragmatic approach. As with the motorcycles, the collection is among the finest
anywhere and includes early sports cars as well as Dan Gurney’s Lotus 38 Indy
car, and Formula cars up through the ‘90s.
After more than two decades of
acquiring and planning—not to mention an investment in excess of $55
million—George Barber has built a fitting homage to the fine art of the
motorcycle through the ages. As a result, Birmingham should now be firmly on the
map as one of the mandatory riding destinations for every enthusiast.
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