FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) is proud to announce the 2025 inductees into its prestigious Heritage Hall of Fame, celebrating nine outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the preservation, promotion, and appreciation of automotive history.
This year’s honourees hail from nine countries across four continents—from Albania to the United States, from Chile to India—highlighting the truly global nature of the historic vehicle movement. Selected by an international panel of esteemed jurors, the 2025 inductees include passionate collectors, pioneering designers, visionary museum founders, and legendary figures in motorsport.
A Global Jury for Global Icons
The nine-member jury responsible for this year's selections includes:
- McKeel Hagerty
- Malcolm Forest
- Nick Mason
- Navaz Bhathena Sandhu
- Eli Solomon
- Shiro Nakamura
- Gaby von Oppenheim
- Patrick Rollet
- Tiddo Bresters, President of FIVA
Their collective expertise ensured a diverse and representative selection of inductees who reflect both the spirit and substance of historic motoring culture.
Living Inductees:
Medi Halilaj (Albania)
A central figure in Albania’s historic vehicle community, Halilaj was inspired by his father’s military vehicle work. After training in electromechanics and working as an electric car technician and battery specialist, he collaborated with the ‘RON’ Museum (co-founded by Arben Prrenjasi) to locate and restore rare historic vehicles of Chinese and Russian origin throughout Albania.
Lia Maria Aguiar (Brazil)
Philanthropist and founder of the Fundação Lia Maria Aguiar, which supports around 700 underprivileged youth, she also launched the CARDE Art Design Museum in 2024. Built around part of Og Pozzoli’s antique car collection, the museum displays approximately 100 fully functional, rare vehicles. CARDE blends automotive history and artistic expression, supported by a Restoration School and cultural programs that empower local youth.
Bernardo Eggers Reccius (Chile)
A pioneer in Chile’s classic car movement, Eggers Reccius founded the country’s first automobile museum, the Auto Museum Moncopulli near Osorno in 1995. The museum now houses dozens of historic vehicles, including the world’s largest Studebaker collection outside the United States.
Dr. Friedhelm Loh (Germany)
A renowned German collector with more than 150 historic vehicles, Dr. Loh has created a unique museum space within a historic industrial building, complete with a restaurant and cinema. Highlights of his collection include Michael Schumacher’s 2000 Ferrari F1 car, a Benz Victoria from 1897, and a Ferrari 288 GTO once owned by Albert Uderzo, co-creator of Asterix.
G. D. Gopal (India)
Son of the famed inventor G. D. Naidu (often called the ‘Edison of India’), Gopal founded the Gedee Car Museum in Coimbatore to honour his father's legacy. The museum features around 100 meticulously documented vehicles, focusing on practical, everyday models. Highlights include the Ford Model T, VW Beetle, Citroën 2CV, a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, and several rare German microcars.
Miles C. Collier (United States)
A former racing driver and lifelong enthusiast, Collier is the founder of the Revs Institute® in Naples, Florida—home to over 100 rare and historically significant vehicles. A passionate advocate for preserving the automobile as a cultural artifact, Collier authored The Archaeological Automobile, which frames the car as a pivotal symbol of 20th-century society.
Posthumous Inductees:
Henri Chapron (France, 1886–1978)
One of France’s greatest coachbuilders, Chapron crafted bespoke bodies for marques like Delage, Talbot, and Hispano-Suiza. After WWII, he famously collaborated with Citroën to create convertible versions of the DS, including the iconic presidential cars used by General de Gaulle.
Flaminio Bertoni (Italy, 1903–1964)
An Italian artist and designer best known for his revolutionary work at Citroën, Bertoni helped design the Traction Avant and the legendary Citroën DS. His fusion of engineering and aesthetics influenced both automotive and industrial design, leaving a profound legacy in global design culture.
Ewy Rosqvist-von Korff (Sweden, 1929–2024)
A trailblazer in motorsport, Rosqvist broke barriers for women in racing during the 1950s and 60s. She won the European Ladies' Championship three times and became a factory driver for Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. Her crowning achievement came in 1962, when she won the Argentinian Gran Premio rally, defeating 286 male competitors by winning every stage and setting a new speed record.
Honouring a Shared Passion
Reflecting on the 2025 selection, FIVA President Tiddo Bresters remarked:
“The legends chosen to join our Heritage Hall of Fame range from world-renowned icons to unsung heroes of the historic motoring world. From a female rally driver to designers, engineers, passionate collectors, to visionary entrepreneurs, this year’s eclectic group shares one unifying passion – historic motoring.”