By Martin Banks

To mark Autoworld’s 40th anniversary, the famous Brussels car museum wanted to do something a bit different.

So it took three iconic cars from its collection and turned them into real taxis, driving unsuspecting passengers to their destinations in the heart of Brussels in a very different kind of ride.

Unsuspecting passengers suddenly found themselves being picked up by a 1966 Ford Mustang, a Ferrari Testarossa or the museum’s royal Cadillac.

“The result,” said a museum spokesman was “plenty of surprised looks, enthusiastic reactions and some unforgettable rides.”

“It was a chance to give the public a taste of what Autoworld has to offer.”

In collaboration with  taxi firm Taxis Verts, three icons from the collection became real Brussels taxis for the day.

Locals and tourists who simply ordered a ride through the app had no idea that the car coming to pick them up might be, for instance, a car with a royal past.

Three museum cars were chosen, each with a remarkable story to tell.

The spokesman added, “Unsurprisingly, they turned quite a few heads along the way.”

The royal Cadillac is undoubtedly the most stately of the three.

Part of the Autoworld collection, it was used for the weddings of King Albert and Queen Paola in 1959 and King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola in 1960.

A remarkable piece of Belgian history that, for this special occasion, once again drove past the Royal Palace.

Then there is the spectacular Ferrari Testarossa, an icon of the 1980s and 1990s, it captured the imagination of an entire generation and became famous around the world, not least thanks to Miami Vice.

With its unmistakable lines and signature side air intakes, it remains one of the most instantly recognisable Ferraris ever built.

Finally, there was the 1966 Ford Mustang: an American legend that has inspired generations of car enthusiasts since the 1960s and earned its place as one of the icons of automotive history.

There was no “ordinary” taxi driver behind the wheel either.

Members of the Autoworld team drove the cars themselves, sharing the story behind each vehicle with their passengers along the way.

“Every journey offered a different way to experience the museum and its collection,” said the spokesman.

To complete the transformation, the cars were even fitted with the distinctive Sputnik signs associated with Brussels taxis.

They certainly did not go unnoticed.

In streets today largely dominated by black, white and grey cars, these colourful classics “were guaranteed to turn heads,” said the museum spokesman.

The surprise did not end when the ride was over. In the days that followed, several passengers made their way to Autoworld to discover the museum and explore the rest of the collection.

“And that,” said the spokesman, “was exactly what we hoped to achieve: to introduce people to automotive history in an unexpected way and give them an experience they would not forget.”