Italy and Belgium: together along the path of history

Two classic cars and a motorbike, namely, a Porsche "911 L", a Volkswagen "Coccinelle 1300" - both from 1973 - and a "1200 Electra-Glide" Harley- Davidson, have arrived in Italy from Belgium to officialize the twinning between the Polizia di Stato Car Museum and the Service Historique of the Belgian Police.

"Together along the path of history": this is the slogan of the initiative sealed by an official ceremony that took place on Tuesday 23 October 2007 at the Car Museum in the presence of the Chief of the Italian Police, Antonio Manganelli, and the Chief of the Belgian Police, Fernard Koekelberg. "It is an initiative that highlights traditions which are our link to the past", said Mr. Koekelberg. In his speech also Antonio Manganelli stressed the importance of memory adding that the Museum not only houses objects but also "values, traditions, fragments of life; the dreams, hopes and enthusiasms of the many police officers that have preceded us and whom we have the duty to remember in order to move forward".

The director of the Service Historique of the Brussels Police Mihail Benoit spoke about "his" Museum saying that "it is not a museum of cars but of the persons that drove them and of what these cars have done in serving society".
The need to establish and strengthen international collaboration was highlighted many times during the ceremony. In particular, Mr. Manganelli said that this twinning is an important occasion "to know the past of another friendly country and to cement friendship and collaboration, which are essential for police work in all areas".

For the occasion the Belgian cars and bike are in Rome on display at the Polizia di Stato Car Museum together with the historic cars of our Police, such as Spatafora's "250 Gte" Ferrari and the celebrated 1958 Alfa Romeo 1900.

The Belgian Police vehicles will be exhibited in Rome until January 2008, along with some drunk driving and speed control devices used in Belgium.

Those wishing to take a stroll among classic cars and bikes can visit the Polizia di Stato Car Museum in Rome, Via dell'Arcadia 20.