Motorcycle and car museums, even when viewed virtually, allow access to historic and classic vehicles that you’d never see otherwise. This is why it’s such a tragedy when one of these museums is lost. Such was the case with the Top Point Crosspoint Motorcycle Museum, which went down in flames a few months ago. We say ‘was,’ though, because the classic car and motorcycle museum will rise from the ashes.

Before it burned down, the Top Point Crosspoint Museum held Europe’s highest classic car and motorcycle collections

Up until January 2021, the Top Point Crosspoint Motorcycle Museum was the highest-altitude museum of any kind in Europe. Located on the Timmeljosch mountain-pass road in Hochgurgl, Austria, close to Italy, the museum housed over 230 classic motorcycles, The Drive reports. There were also about a dozen classic cars on the premises, Autoblog reports. All told, the various vintage vehicles represented over 100 different manufacturers.

The Top Point Motorcycle Museum was the creation of twin brothers Alban and Atilla Scheiber, who started riding when they were six, MCN reports. And over the years the duo had amassed an extensive collection of bikes from a variety of eras and manufacturers.

Rare rotary bikes, a Munch Mammut, vintage Brough-Superiors, Harleys, and Indians, as well as classic Ferraris and Porsches, formed just a small part of the collection. Plus, the classic motorcycles housed at Top Point weren’t just historical artifacts, but also part sources, Hagerty reports. And unfortunately, the entire collection was lost in the January 18, 2021 fire that destroyed the museum, RideApart reports.

However, there is some good news. Firstly, no one was injured in the blaze, which turned out to be caused by “a faulty museum display,” RideApart reports. And secondly, the Scheiber brothers plan to rebuild.

It couldn’t be fully rescued, but the car and motorcycle museum will be rebuilt

Although the biggest drawing point for Top Point was the motorcycle museum, that was only one part of the mountain-top complex. And while the fire torched the museum, the firefighters kept it from spreading to the attached ski resort and restaurant. So, the Scheiber brothers’ business is still open, albeit in a reduced capacity.

However, even before the blaze, the brothers were planning on expanding the museum, VisorDown reports. And now, they simply modified those plans to rebuild the museum using the original expansion ideas.

As of this writing, a hard-and-fast opening date hasn’t been announced. But the Scheiber brothers want to reopen the motorcycle museum sometime in winter 2021, RideApart reports. Ambitious, perhaps, but admirable.

What about the collection?

Obviously, the resurrected Top Point Museum needs some classic bikes. Specifically, new ones, as the original collection is so much charred metal and ashes now. However, the Scheiber brothers claim collectors from around the world have already put forth a combined 250 motorcycles for the rebuilt museum, RideApart reports.

So, as sad as the loss of the original classic motorcycle collection is, the museum will still be around to inspire and inform.

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