California's car craze owes much to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who ramroded the building of the Interstates. Hollywood showed the world that California climate and conditions achieved perfection. Drive something different, and you must prepare for admiring questions at every stop.
Given such interest, it's no surprise to find that California has more auto museums than Detroit. Museums vary from the "cherried out to the max" unique offerings of the upscale Behring and Merle Norman through the "one of everything" eclecticism of the Towe Ford Museum and the San Diego Auto Museum. A number of smaller museums-Deer Park are just one example-and the many California classic and antique auto dealers insure that somewhere, sometime you can find an example of every vehicle that ever put the rubber to the road.!" One of our favorites is the Behring Museum.
BEHRING MUSEUM The Behring Auto Museum suits Blackhawk, an upscale suburb on the Bay Area built by the museum founder, that sports celebrities like Rick Barry, the basketball player. The $12 million granite and glass pyramid shouts, rather than hints, of treasures within, the lobby reinforces the "cost no object" atmosphere as its stainless steel columns rise to copper-tinted skylights. All this to coddle what most consider the finest collection of "one of" vehicles in the world that one wag called "a parking lot for THE RICH & FAMOUS!"
Like old-time movie stars? Check Rudolph Valentino's 1926 Isotta Fraschini or Clark Gable's 1935 Dusenberg convertible coupe. Royalty suit your tastes? HRM Queen Mary's 1955 Daimler, the Aga Khan's 1952 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Sedanca or the Shah of Iran's 1939 Bugatti Cabriolet deserve a good look.
Favor lame ducks? Check the 1958 Edsel Citation convertible described as "one of the worst mistakes in the history of the auto industry. The Tucker 48, once called "the car of tomorrow - today," set the auto world buzzing back in 1948 with it's swiveling light, fuel injection and aerodynamic styling. These and about one hundred of the vehicles in the 230-vehicle collection are displayed on the budget ground floor where most car values run $500,000 to $750,000.
Go To Page: 1 2
