Barber Vintage Motorsports Park and Museum announced this morning the loss of its founder George W. Barber Jr.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of George Barber,” the announcement reads. “He built more than an organization—he built a community. We are grateful for his vision and leadership, and we will share additional information in the days ahead.”

Barber, a local motorsports legend, actually grew up successfully racing Porsches in the ’60s. What started as collecting classic cars, shifted gears into collecting motorcycles. After years and years of acquiring, Barber’s collection had become the largest motorcycle collection in the world by 2014.

He opened the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in 1995 — and the motorsports park in 2003 — which is home to over 1,800 motorcycles that span over 100 years of production — but his love for cars never dissipated. The museum also has the world’s most extensive Lotus Cars collection and a few rare race cars as well.

Barber’s name has been intertwined with the state of Alabama for decades. The former owner of Barber’s Dairy, philanthropist and real estate developer leaves behind a legacy that stretches far beyond business.

His influence will continue to be felt in the institutions he supported and the lives he touched.

Evy Gallagher is the assistant editor of Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].