The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is the largest collection of historic motorcycles in the world
American Medical Association Hall of Famer George Barber dies at 85
It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of George Barber, founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member dies at 85.
advertise
Barber was a philanthropist, real estate developer and businessman, the son of George Warren Barber Sr., who founded Barber Dairies in the 1930s. Barber Jr. began collecting motorcycles privately in the 1970s and established a museum in 1994 to display his collection to the public. In 2003, he opened Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved the museum there.
Read more:
Barber was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2014 in recognition of his efforts to preserve motorcycle history.
Start press release:
AMA mourns the death of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Barber
Photo by Chris Stanford
Photo by Chris Stanford
advertise
The American Motorcyclists Association is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Barber at the age of 85.
Barber is the founder of the renowned Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, which houses the largest collection of historic motorcycles in the world. Barber has had a unique impact on the motorcycle community.
George H. Barber, the son of George H. Barber, founder of Barber Dairy and a pioneer in dairy pasteurization in the United States, developed a love of automobiles at an early age. In the 1960s, Barber raced his own Porsche racing cars with great success, winning numerous victories while behind the wheel.
advertise
Barber soon became interested in motorcycles, which led him to open his own museum and hire skilled workers to restore vintage motorcycles to help build his collection. Meanwhile, Barber ran a vintage motorcycle racing team that raced throughout the United States and Europe.
In 1994, the Barber Museum received 501(c)(3) non-profit status and was officially named the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
In 2002, Barber chose to close the original site of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and in September 2003 moved its collection to its current location, an 830-acre complex that also includes a 2.38-mile road course.
advertise
Barber was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2014 for his work in preserving motorcycle history.
become a motorcycle network Insider. Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to get the latest motorcycle news here.