AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Barber Dies at 85

This morning during breakfast, I got a text from my friend Neale Bayly, simply stating, “Mr. Barber passed away”. I was stunned, and quickly found an American Motorcyclist Association press release in my inbox with a bit more information. The following is from the AMA, with my recollections and reflections at the end.

Founder of the prestigious Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Ala., home to the world’s largest collection of historic motorcycles, Barber had a unique impact on the motorcycling community.

Son of George H. Barber, founder of Barber Dairy and pioneer for dairy pasteurization in the United States, the younger Barber’s love for motor vehicles started early in his life. In the 1960s, Barber raced and wrenched on his own Porsche racers with great success, claiming a large collection of wins behind the wheel.

Barber’s interest in motorcycles began soon after, leading him to open his own museum and hire skilled workers to restore vintage motorcycles to help build his collection. At the same time, Barber operated a vintage motorcycle racing team, which raced across the United States and Europe.

In 1994, Barber’s museum gained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and was officially named the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

In 2002, Barber opted to close the original location of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, moving his collection to its current location in September 2003, an 830-acre complex that also includes a 2.38-mile road circuit.

For his longtime preservation of motorcycle history, Barber was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2014.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum- Mr. Barber’s grand dream.

I had the opportunity to briefly chat with Mr. Barber once,  while touring the museum for a story. On the large central elevator in the facility, I was riding to a lower level, and it stopped at one of the intermediate floors. On stepped Mr. Barber himself, who greeted me with a smile and a cheerful “Good morning!” We were the only ones on the elevator for the moment, so I introduced myself and we shook hands. In our brief conversation, he inquired about Road Dirt, stated he had read some of our stories before, and thanked me for our coverage of their events. All with a kind smile and genuine interest in our chat. As we exited on our respective floors, Mr. Barber shook my hand again and stated, “Thank you for your support! I hope you have a great time with us. Let us know if we can help you in any way.” I thanked him as well, for his kindness and his incredible vision. “I just talked with Mr. Barber himself,” I mused with a silly grin, as I continued on my tour.

Mr. Barber will be sorely missed, but his legacy will live on at the prestigious Barber Motorsports Park, and in the halls of his outstanding museum.

Rob

*Top photo by AMA/Chris Stanford