A Valentine’s Day and Vintage event 

Organised every year around Valentine’s Day, the Love Bugs Parade is much more than a classic car ride. It embodies the warm and festive spirit of those who love the famous ‘Cox’. The event brings together some 250 vehicles, from historic Beetles to modern Beetles, in a friendly, retro atmosphere. For this special edition, participants are invited to immerse themselves in the year 1965 by decorating their cars or dressing up in period costumes. Two dedicated areas on the Esplanade will showcase the creative efforts of participants and Beetles dating precisely from 1965. 

The programme

Enthusiasts will gather at 10am in front of the Autoworld museum, where registered owners will receive a rally nameplate, a roadbook and access to the museum and its temporary exhibition. Visitors can admire the vehicles on display, chat with the owners and enjoy the festive atmosphere. At 2pm sharp, the car parade will set off from the Esplanade to a joyous chorus of car horns. The route, which lasts approximately 1.5 hours, will take participants along some charming Brabant roads, offering a unique spectacle in motion for spectators and a memorable ride for drivers. Back at the Cinquantenaire around 3.30pm, participants meet up for a convivial snack offered by the organisers, an opportunity to swap anecdotes and extend the party. 

A party open to all 

The event is free and open to the public. Come and enjoy the atmosphere and admire these legendary vehicles. During the parade, be sure to visit Autoworld, a must-see museum for car enthusiasts. With its 250 historic vehicles and its temporary exhibition, it promises to delight young and old alike. 

A tribute to the Belgian VW Club 

Created in 1965, the Belgian VW Club is an institution for Volkswagen enthusiasts. It brings together enthusiasts from all walks of life, from owners of campers and oldtimers to fans of new technologies such as electro-mobility. Members enjoy a host of benefits, from taking part in exclusive competitions to invitations to exhibitions and rallies. This club is a real community where the passion for Volkswagen is lived and shared to the full. 

Registration and practical information: 👉 Registration Love Bugs Parade 2025

Only the first 250 registrations will be accepted, so don’t delay in reserving your place at this unique event. 

The post 16th Love Bugs Parade: An Unmissable Gathering for Volkswagen Beetle appeared first on Brussels Express.

Celebrating 110 Years of Maserati

Autoworld is proud to present a unique exhibition celebrating 110 years of Maserati. The exhibition features a stunning collection of 48 rare Maseratis, showcasing over a century of mechanical excellence.

The cars are organized by different periods in Maserati’s history, with a special focus on its illustrious racing heritage. Visitors can admire a dozen unique race cars, including models on loan from the prestigious Panini Museum, some of which are being displayed in Belgium for the first time. The exhibition traces Maserati’s racing legacy from the Tipo 26 and the 250F to the MC12.

In addition to its racing history, the exhibition highlights Maserati’s role in defining the ‘Gran Turismo’ lifestyle, characterized by speed, style, and craftsmanship. From the A6 1500 to iconic models like the 3500 GT, Mistral, Ghibli, and Bora, Maserati has consistently embodied elegance and performance. Today, the brand continues to represent a blend of class and sportiness, as seen in the MC20 and other current models.

This exceptional exhibition is made possible through collaborations with Maserati Classiche, Maserati ACG Gent, CadyCars, Mistral Classics, and the Umberto Panini Motor Museum.

Visit the Exhibition

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience 110 years of Maserati. The exhibition runs from December 20 to February 23 at Autoworld, offering a tribute to Italian passion, design, and speed.

For more information: visit Autoworld’s website.

Autoworld Museum Brussels, Parc du Cinquantenaire 11, 1000 Brussels (Metro Merode)

The post Maserati 110 Years Exhibition Now Open at Autoworld appeared first on Brussels Express.

The goal is to make road safety a priority, and zone 30 is at the center of the system. « We must appease the city, improve the well-being of residents, secure traffic, reduce noise (by 50%), reduce pollution, » justifies the minister.

From January 1st, 2021, the 30 km/hour will become the rule on all the territory of the Region, with the exception of major structuring axes where the 50 km/h will apply (even 70 km/h in some sections). « In Brussels, the driver will know that, unless otherwise stated, he can not exceed 30 km/h. It is the opposite of what is happening today where the 30 is the exception.

This zone 30 will be more controlled and motorists who do not respect it will also be more sanctioned. To do this, new radars will be added to the existing fleet and the capacity to process fines will increase from 200,000 to 350,000 per year. The minister also plans to make improvements to roads to slow down.

The 30 « black spots », areas of concentration of accidents on the territory of the Region, will all be resolved under this legislature, promises Ms. Van den Brandt.

The post Zone 30 will be generalized from 2021 in Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

Unlike official taxis, Uber vehicles won’t be able to circulate in the city: “A few weeks ago, we communicated to the Uber drivers that they won’t be able to circulate on Sunday, unless they’ll be in possession of a specific authorization,” explained the spokesman of Brussels Mobility, Camille Thiry, to La Capitale.

Public transports

As every year, the STIB will offer its services for free. Anyway, since its buses will have to circulate, like all the other vehicles, at 30 km/h the timetable cannot be respected.

De Lijn buses will be free, as well, for all the rides within the 19 communes of Brussels.

For those who don’t live in Brussels, but want to reach the capital by train, the SNCB propose a Mobility Ticket. For that day, it will be possible to travel in Belgium with no limits for just 6 euros.

Parking

In case you prefer to come to Brussels by car, all the entrances to the city will remain open to permit the vehicles to reach the six car parks available. All car parks will be free for the occasion, except for parking C of Heysel (10 euros all day) , and for the car park in the Westland Shopping Center (5 euros all day).

The other car parks available (with limited capacity) are:

Parking Stalle

Parkings UCL sur le site de Bruxelles Woluwe

Parking Brico Plan-t

Parking Ceria

Activities

The day is also going to be full of activities to celebrate and sensitize on the topic of mobility.

At Place Royale, Place des Palais e Parc Royale, will take place the event Bucolic Brussels. Between 10 am and 7 pm it will be possible to find food trucks, brewers, children’s activities, shows, artisans, associations and much more.

At place De Brouckère, it will be set the “Mobilxmix Village” where it will be possible to have a scooter ride and receive some knowledge about road safety.

As for every year, the STIB is going to open the doors of its deposit in Ixelles between 10 am and 4 pm.

Finally, it will be possible for runners to participate to the 20 km of Brussels but… upside down. In fact, the race will follow the opposite direction of the official 20 km.

To know all the activities organized in the 19 communes of Brussels Region visit the website of the Mobility Week.

The post Car Free Sunday in Brussels: What you need to know appeared first on Brussels Express.

Only urgent services, vehicles of public interest and persons with a pass can circulate in the zones where car traffic is forbidden.

A pass can be delivered to individuals from 12 August 2019 to 13 September 2019 (at 12 am), for companies from 1 August 2019 to 13 September 2019 (at 12 am). Attention, this demand of dispensation must be duly motivated.

When is the Region ‘closed’?

Between 9.30am and 7pm. The closing and the re-opening of the entrances to the Region and the tunnels will happen gradually. Therefore, there might be some traffic nuisance outside these times. As a result of the activities and celebrations, the streets in certain neighbourhoods might also be closed longer. So it is no use hurrying to the entrances to Brussels; this to avoid congestion and safety problems.

 

What about public transport?

The STIB and The Lijn willen provide free public transport! The service level will be reviewed with a considerable reinforcement on most of metro, tram and bus lines.

Who is still allowed to drive around town?

Car Free Sunday applies to everyone, except for public transport, taxis, buses, emergency and security forces, provided with a legitimation, as well as for the diplomatic corps. The maximum speed is limited up to 30km/h everywhere.

Check out all the activities taking place during Brussels Mobility Week.

The post Car Free Sunday in Brussels on September 22 appeared first on Brussels Express.

In the current state of things, tax payers are submitted to a steady annual tax, which doesn’t take into account the way people use their cars. The new tax should factor in the time at which the driver uses their car, as well as the type of car that they drive.

A set of cameras that are already implemented in the low emission zone (LEZ) will serve as a means of control. Subsequently, a question arises: will the zone be limited to the region in its entirety? It could eventually be restricted to the Pentagon or the European quarter.

Ideally, this plan should follow suit in a period of 5 years in Brussels, according to Elke Van den Brandt. As of July, the initiative had been proposed in the declaration of policy for the Brussels region.

The post Minister of Mobility proposes new intelligent kilometer tax in Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

Poppy, the Belgian car-sharing platform, is to offer shared scooters and electric scooters as part of its services, making it the first company in Europe to offer these three shared modes of transport under one brand.

Formerly known as Zipcar, Poppy’s services will be available in Brussels and Antwerp. In total, the company owns 1,000 cars across both cities, as well as 200 scooters and 200 electric scooters.

The company’s prices range as follows: 0.33 euro per minute for a car, 0.25 euro/min for an electric scooter, and 0.15 euro/min for a non-electric scooter (in addition to a 1 euro fee to begin using each vehicle).

The post Poppy to offer shared scooters and electric scooters in Brussels and Antwerp appeared first on Brussels Express.

Part of the Rue de La Loi will be reduced from four to two lanes from this Monday until the end of August in order to complete the renovation of the bridge located above the chaussée d’Etterbeek, announced Brussels Mobility in a press release on Friday.

“In the summer of 2017, Brussels Mobility began work on renovating the bridge. In 2018, the renovations could not be carried out in the summer due to the festivities commemorating the end of the First World War. This year, the renovation of the bridge will finally be completed,” explains Brussels Mobility. “The objective is to rebuild the infrastructure, waterproofing, balustrades and road surface.”

These works are being completed while major renovation is also being conducted on the Leopold II and Rogier tunnels.

The post Part of Rue de La Loi to be reduced to two lanes until the end of August appeared first on Brussels Express.

“Studies show that in cities where zone 30 has been introduced, the number of accidents has decreased by 25 to 40%. As a result, pedestrians and cyclists are more protected. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h is three times more likely to survive than one hit at 50 km/h,” says Benoît Godart, a spokesman for the Vias Institute.

For Katia Xenophontos, of the Bruxsel’air collective, limiting the speed to 30 km/h will have a beneficial effect on the environment: “Establishing a generalised zone 30 will have the positive effect of reducing the rates of acceleration and deceleration among vehicles, which are a great source of pollution. It will also reduce fuel consumption, indirect pollution caused by car brakes and noise pollution,” she explains.

The main objective of this generalized zone is also to reduce the number of cars in the city. The new measure is expected to come into effect by January 1, 2021 at the earliest.

The post A generalised “zone 30” in Brussels? appeared first on Brussels Express.

Citroën is celebrating its 100th anniversary and Autoworld’s major summer exhibition is dedicated to the make with more than fifty models which, all in their way, left their mark on the history of the make bearing the double chevron.

Renowned for its 2CV – but also its legendary « Traction Avant », its DS, ID — not forgetting the numerous innovations brought about by its founder, André Citroën, such as the famous hydropneumatics suspension on the four wheels, not to mention the revolutionary and audacious lines for those days, the make now celebrating its centenary is undoubtedly one of the most mythical of French car makes.

The exhibition organised in collaboration with Citroën Belux and the Belgian Clubs Citroën, as also with the Conservatoire Citroën (loaning us several gorgeous competition version models) will offer up a wide historical fresco taking in the most emblematic Citroën cars as also several spectacular vehicles.

From the Type A through to the C3 Pluriel, by way of the ‘sweet’ Rosalie, two plateaux will display the historic evolution of the make. The Traction has its very own plateau with no less than six different models.

No doubt the not so young among us will recall the radical change brought about when the twin-cylinder Dyane, Ami6 and Méhari appeared on the market… they will all be present, and many others also, fitted with special coachwork, LCV vans and a Kegresse, one of the first halftracks.

The competition and rally cars will be well represented by, among others, the Xsara WRC and the C4 WRC of Sébastien Loeb, 9 times WRC World Champion with Citroën, not forgetting the AX Superproduction…

Numerous other models are to be admired from 27th June through to the 3rdSeptember at the Autoworld museum, as also the range presently available with, among others, the « Origins » the collector edition, specially designed to celebrate the make’s centenary. C1, C3, SUV C3 Aircross and C4 Cactus will each have this elegant collection version.

On the exhibition’s periphery: 10 showcases and tables will display scale models. Historical videos will be projected in the museum’s media-room and children’s entertainment is also foreseen.

The start of the story in a nutshell.

DOUBLE CHEVRONS

André Gustave Citroen is born in Paris on 5th February 1878. He is the son of a Dutch father and a Polish mother. During his youth, and while studying at the polytechnic, he travels to his mother’s homeland and comes across something that would change his life: chevron gears which can transfer more power with less strength, and far more silently. He acquires this invention and, once back in Paris, improves it and has it patented, as also other iron and steel applications.

VISION

Recommended by his brother, André Citroën – in the meantime his name is now written with the diaeresis on the « e » for a more French pronunciation – is appointed to the management of the Mors car factory in 1908, not only to increase quality, but especially for his remarkable ideas in the fields of advertising and marketing. In less than ten years he multiplies the turnover by a factor of ten! After the war he acquires the Mors factories which will exist up until 1925, after which the buildings of the 15th district in Paris are converted into the laboratories of the Citroën Design Offices.

At the start of the First World War in 1914, he soon discovers that the French Army has a shortage of ammunition. He prepares a business plan to produce shells on a big scale, and he makes a fortune. He manages to convince the general staff of his ideas and in 1915 he converts allotments at the Quai de Javel, in the south-west of Paris, into a war factory. Without exception all his workers are women, seeing the men have gone off to war. Citroën realises that he needs to adapt and provides them with crèches and grocery shops, highly unconventional in those days.

POPULAR CAR

The visionary André Citroën does not believe that the Great War will last long. He plans his future: the mass-production of cars for the general public. He wants to take advantage of his experience of mass production of shells and decides to produce a vehicle for the general public. In 1917, following his trip to the United States, and more specifically to the Ford factory, where he discovers mass production; he purchases several cars and has these dismantled by his engineers. Jules Salomon, designer of French cars sold under the make of Le Zèbre, designs the first Citroën 10HP. The prototype is presented at the end of 1917 to the general staff in the Roanne barracks. But it would take another twelve months before peace is declared in western Europe. As from that moment Citroën can truly start to create his own car make.

11th November 1918, end of the war: Citroën’s project materialises. Some ten days later the 10HP Citroën is presented at the Service des Mines in France, with a view to obtaining the authorisation to drive the car on French soil. Following various modifications, the service grants permission. It would take a further six months before the first models are delivered to impatient clients. Brilliant communicator, André Citroën promoted his make with audacity and ingenuity. Citroën very quickly becomes the top car manufacturer in France, even in Europe.

The first Citroën Type A, in 4-seater model under a soft hood, was a type of French Ford T version. They were only available in Artillery Grey – it seems that André Citroën was able to acquire a limited quantity of paint from the army.
To recognise one of the very first Citroën models one merely needs to look at the headlights. There is no bar between these. It would appear as from 1920.

Showing no interest for company policy, the business soon experiences financial difficulties, which brings the expensive development of the « Traction » into jeopardy. On the verge of insolvency in 1934 André allows Michelin to take over control of his company and he dies in 1935. He would therefore never see the success of the « Tractions » in its 7-11-15 versions. After the war the incredible 2CV, the Type H van and the fascinating ID/DS ensure that Citroën would belong to the legendary makes out of automotive history.

And in Belgium

In Belgium, Hector Evrard is appointed as the representative. He lives 19, Rue du Gouvernement Provisoire in Brussels – an imposing town house nothing like that of a car garage. Hector Evrard would immediately be contacted by Marc Devergnies from Binche, who wants to become a Citroën concessionaire. On 6th May 1919, the first payment is made to Evrard, who passes it on to the company in Paris. The present Citroën concessionaire of La Louvière still carries the same name and is most probably to oldest Citroën garage in the world.

In 1924 Citroën’s first foreign branch is established in Belgium, rue de l’Amazone, and two years later a showroom opens its doors on the Boulevard Adolphe-Max. In the ’30s, the iconic building located Place de l’Yser opens its doors and would remain the headquarters of Citroën Belux up until 2012.

PRACTICAL INFO:

Autoworld Museum Brussels

Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark 11, 1000 Brussels
Metro Merode

Opening Hours :
Open daily 7/7 from 10am until 6pm

Entrance fee to the museum :
Adults : 12 €
Seniors : 10 €
Students : 9 €
Children 6-12 years : 5 €

The post The Summer Exhibition at AutoWorld: CITROËN 100 YEARS appeared first on Brussels Express.