From July 8 to September 6, Autoworld presents ‘Icons of the 90’s’, a major automotive exhibition that takes visitors back to one of the most iconic and influential decades in recent history.
The 1990s evoke freedom, innovation and pop culture. MTV, video games, grunge, hip-hop, the rise of the Internetand the first mobile phones shaped an entire generation. It was a period marked by rapid technological progress and changing lifestyles, while design, music, film and fashion developed a strong and distinctive identity.
The automotive world also experienced a particularly exciting decade. The 1990s introduced new technologies, more compact concepts, bold styling, increasing performance and a renewed focus on driving pleasure. Cars became safer, more reliable and more efficient, while also expressing stronger personalities. From city cars and sporty coupés to hot hatches and supercars, the decade produced models that have since become true automotive icons.
This summer, Autoworld brings that atmosphere back to life through an exhibition where the automobile takes centre stage. The exhibition highlights the richness and diversity of 1990s mobility, featuring city cars, convertibles and roadsters, hot hatches, sports saloons, Japanese sports cars, innovative family vehicles and spectacular supercars.
Two-wheelers also play an important role in the exhibition. Around fifteen motorcycles illustrate the revival of European brands such as Ducati, BMW and Triumph. Popular mopeds from the era are also featured: the machines that could be seen outside every secondary school and often played a role in defining teenage status.
Blending nostalgia, design, technology and pop culture, ‘Icons of the 90’s’ celebrates a decade that continues to inspire our imagination today.
Autoworld developed this exhibition in close collaboration with its partners, several private collections from Belgium and abroad, as well as with the Squadra Abarth & Rally Collection museum in Lier.
ULTIMATE ICONS
The icons that shared the '90s
From visionary prototypes to exceptional sports cars, this selection brings together machines that redefined their era. The Ferrari F50, derived from Formula 1 and built around a naturally aspirated V12 engine, embodies the uncompromising spirit of the 1990s. Developed in collaboration with Porsche, the Audi RS2 Avant pioneered the concept of the high-performance estate car. The Lancia Delta Integrale Martini 6 carried on its rally dominance with its turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive. Simple yet revolutionary, the Renault Twingo Phase I reinvented urban mobility through its modular interior and one-box design.
From the forward-thinking Smart Prototype, a laboratory for modern urban mobility, to the purity of the pre-production Mazda MX-5 Miata, celebrating lightweight and accessible driving pleasure, this selection illustrates two contrasting yet complementary visions of the automobile. The Belgian-built Gillet Vertigo, as handcrafted as it is extreme, pushes the power-to-weight ratio to its limits, while the Volkswagen New Beetle reinterprets a popular icon for the dawn of a new era.
ROYAL AIRNESS
Driving with the top down, pure pleasure
Before screens and constant connectivity became part of everyday life, driving was all about sensation. The wind, the sound of the engine, the changing scenery and the open road ahead. The roadsters and convertibles of the 1990s embodied this pure vision of driving pleasure.
The Alfa Romeo Spider V6 expresses Italian passion through its soulful engine and elegant lines. The BMW Z1 pushed the boundaries of innovation with its famous retractable doors. The Fiat Barchetta celebrates simplicity and instant driving enjoyment, while the Porsche Boxster S redefined the balance between performance and accessibility. The Aston Martin DB7 Volante brings the elegance of British grand touring, while the Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor AMG paved the way for a new generation of convertibles with its retractable hardtop.
SUITED HOOLIGANS
Wolves in sheep's clothing
These saloons and sports cars combine uncompromising performance with deceptive respectability. The BMW Z3 M packs Motorsport DNA into a compact roadster with explosive character, while the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II represents the ultimate homologation special for the DTM championship, complete with its iconic rear wing and extreme aerodynamics.
The Mercedes-Benz 500 E, assembled in collaboration with Porsche, conceals a limousine-derived V8 beneath an understated body, while the Ford Escort RS Cosworth proudly displays its rally heritage through its massive rear wing and lively turbocharged engine. The Volvo 850 T-5R surprises with its uniquely Swedish take on the high-performance estate, combining practicality with remarkable speed. Meanwhile, the Subaru Impreza GT became a modern rally legend thanks to its all-wheel drive and formidable efficiency. Finally, the Lotus Omega takes the high-performance saloon concept to its absolute extreme, powered by a Corvette-derived engine and delivering performance worthy of the finest grand tourers of its era.
GRAN TURISMO
Fast, elegant and built for lang-distance touring
Designed to cover long distances at high speed in complete comfort, these cars represent the Grand Touring philosophy in its purest form. The BMW 850 impresses with its technological sophistication and majestic V12, while the Ferrari 456combines true Ferrari performance with the understated elegance of a four-seat coupé capable of crossing Europe effortlessly.
The Maserati 3200 GT captivates with its Giugiaro-designed styling and unmistakably Italian character, blending luxury with sporting spirit. From Japan, the Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo showcases the technological expertise of the 1990s through its sophisticated twin-turbocharged V6, while the Toyota Supra Mk IV became a global benchmark thanks to its legendary 2JZ engine, renowned for its exceptional performance potential. Built to cross continents at high speed in supreme comfort, these grand tourers belong to an era when performance was measured as much by endurance as by outright speed.
BAD BOYS
The rebels of the '90s
Machines without compromise, built as much to provoke as to perform. The Nissan GT-R R34 Widebody embodies the era of extreme tuning and Japanese technological supremacy, combining legendary GT-R heritage with almost limitless performance potential. The Ford Racing Puma ST160 translates rally spirit into a rare, razor-sharp coupé designed for true driving enthusiasts.
The Lotus Elise Mk1 Type 49 pushes lightweight engineering to its extreme, delivering a pure and surgical driving experience, while the Alfa Romeo SZ shocks as much as it fascinates with its bold Zagato styling and unmistakably unconventional sporting character. The Porsche 968 Club Sport represents stripped-back German efficiency with a focus on track performance, while the Renault Clio Williams remains one of Europe’s greatest hot hatch icons, celebrated for its agility, responsiveness and perfectly balanced chassis.
NEED FOR SPEED
Golden era of pure performance
Cars created for pure speed, each with a strong and uncompromising personality. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1represents American muscle at its finest, combining a formidable V8 with supercar-level performance. The Dodge Viper RT/10 goes even further, embracing the philosophy of raw power with its wild V10 engine, complete absence of electronic driving aids and utterly visceral driving experience.
Across Europe and Japan, the Ferrari Testarossa stands as one of the defining icons of the 1980s and 1990s, instantly recognisable by its dramatic side strakes. The Honda NSX revolutionised the supercar through its balance, lightweight construction and almost scientific approach to performance. The Lamborghini Diablo VT brought V12 power under control through all-wheel drive, while the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (993) closed the air-cooled era with a perfect blend of precision, efficiency and authentic driving sensation.
THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS
The unconventional cars that made history
Here, originality takes precedence over convention. The Toyota Prius pioneered modern hybrid technology, transforming an experimental concept into a lasting industrial revolution. The Saab 900 Turbo S represents uniquely unconventional Swedish engineering, combining expressive turbocharged performance with an innovative and safety-focused philosophy.
The Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon blends Italian elegance with genuine driving pleasure in a practical family estate, while the Audi A2 “Open Sky” Prototype explores a futuristic vision of lightweight, efficient compact mobility. The Citroën XM continues the tradition of supreme comfort through its hydropneumatic suspension, while the Fiat Multiplaboldly challenges every convention of automotive design with its radically functional layout. Finally, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class marked a major turning point for the brand by introducing innovation, safety and accessibility in a completely new compact format.
TECHNO ROOM
Night machines, neon lights and the rise of techno
Lasers, neon lights, immersive projections and an iconic soundtrack transport visitors into the energy and aesthetics of the 1990s. Music, light and automobiles come together to recreate the unique atmosphere of a decade defined by pop culture, vibrant nightlife and boundless creativity. Like performers on a stage, each vehicle reveals a bold personality, combining daring design, driving excitement and a true spirit of freedom.
The Plymouth Prowler immediately captures attention with its hot rod-inspired styling and exposed front wheels, while the Renault Sport Spider pushes driving sensations to the extreme through its minimalist design and, on some versions, the complete absence of a windscreen. Alongside them, the Mazda RX-7 represents the golden age of Japanese sports cars with its legendary rotary engine, lightweight construction and exceptional balance. Beneath the lights and to the soundtrack of the greatest hits of the nineties, these three cars become the ultimate symbols of an era when the automobile dared to be more original than ever before.
BIKESPOTTING
The European revival on two wheels
The 1990s marked a true renaissance for the European motorcycle industry. Driven by innovation, design and motorsport, brands such as Ducati, Triumph, KTM and BMW returned to the forefront. The Ducati 916, Massimo Tamburini’s masterpiece, became an icon of design and performance, while the KTM Duke and the BMW R 1100 GS paved the way for a new generation of motorcycles.
Alongside these exceptional machines, the mopeds that accompanied an entire generation remind us that the 1990s were also about first rides, freedom and pure riding pleasure. From superbikes and characterful motorcycles to everyday two-wheelers, this section celebrates a decade in which the passion for motorcycling was reinvented.
