Gilles Villeneuve Museum welcoming racing enthusiasts again after temporary shut down

The Gilles Villeneuve Museum is once again inviting motor racing enthusiasts and museum lovers to make a pit stop by Berthierville this spring after it had temporarily shut down amid a legal battle with the late driver’s family over his memorabilia. 

The town, about 70 kilometres northeast of Montreal, is where the legendary champion’s story began.

Read: Gilles Villeneuve museum to shut temporarily amid lawsuit by late driver’s family

“After a brief closure for reorganization, the museum recently reopened its doors to visitors,” the museum said in a news release on Friday.

“The race cars and Grand Prix memorabilia continue to attract the attention of visitors,” they added. “Who still feel the unique passion that drives this place dedicated to the history of motorsport and our favourite driver.”

Back in February, the museum’s general manger, Alain Bellehumeur, accused the Villeneuve family of squandering the Formula One driver’s heritage in a statement announcing the closure of the museum.

The driver’s widow and two adult children — including former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve — announced they were taking legal action to recover memorabilia from the museum, citing concerns over the institution’s ability to safeguard the racing star’s legacy.

Mélanie Villeneuve told The Canadian Press the theft late last year of a large bronze statue of her father from outside the Gilles Villeneuve museum was the “point of no return” that cemented the family’s loss of confidence in the institution.

The museum and its lawyers say they offered to keep the memorabilia during the legal proceedings, but that was refused by the family.

Quebec-born Villeneuve participated in 67 Formula One races from 1977 to 1982, winning six. He died at age 32 in a crash during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982

Last year, people from from 43 countries visited the Gilles Villeneuve Museum.

—With files from The Canadian Press