| We reached the rest of
the car collection. This is in two huge 265ft double storey barns. The
collection is set out by manufacturer in order of the date of development of
each car. This is a 1919 Marmon Roosevelt 'Victoria' which was the first
straight 8-cylinder-engined car which cost less than $1000. |  |
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There are rows for Ford, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and several other
manufacturers. Most are from the period 1920-1950. The label shows technical
details and a copy of the certificate showing who last owned the vehicle.
This is a 1929 Pontiac 'Big Six' coupe. |
| I can't remember what
this is, but it dates from 1929. I thought it was a really nice colour. I
suspect it was not cheap. |  |
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This is a Ford station wagon with external wood frames. They were very
fashionable at one time. |
| You become overwhelmed.
There are rows after rows of these. To students of the history of the
American motor car, this is a gold mine. |  |
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Another shot showing some of the early 50s designs. These were very familiar
on the early movies I saw. |
| These cars are all in
very good condition but have not been seriously renovated. They say that
they are all in working order. I don't think that they now have any idea
what the collection is worth. I would have liked a catalogue but they
haven't got one and I'm not sure they even know any more. Harold Warp
personally purchased most of the things in the museum, and since he had a
really good memory most of the information was in his head. The staff are
still trying to construct written records, and now he is no longer with us
it is an almost impossible task. |  |
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There are Corvettes and Thunderbirds which were THE car to have if you were
young and single. I don't think this is either but it does look smart. |
| This is a Lincoln 'New
Yorker'. This was the sort of car you had if you had a uniformed driver. |  |
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Not many European cars have ever really made it in the US. This is one of
those rare exceptions, the Volkswagen Beetle. This is a 1957 model and is
one of the last imported. It has an 1152cc air cooled engine and originally
cost under $1500. |
| Another exception is the
MG 'B' a truly iconic British car. |  |
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This is an American icon, the army jeep! Now becoming quite rare, there were
once thousands of these both in the US and left behind in Europe. |
| We did get a respite from
cars, with this collection of bicycles from the 1870s to the mid 1950s. |  |
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From bicycles we went on to early motor cycles. This is a serious collection
of early machines in excellent condition. |
| As ever, I was
immediately struck by this Indian which I think is even more iconic than a
Harley Davidson. |  |
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At the end of the collection is a number of snowmobiles. This is a 1930
model A version. The first one was built in 1913 in New Hampshire on a Ford
model T |
| Also very early is this
caravan which is certainly the oldest I've seen. It is a 1940 Vagabond model
18. This looks as though it has been modified to operate with a 5th wheel
hitch. It cost $845 or $880 with a heater and stove. |  |
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I suppose if this is a collection of familiar things then these must be
included. |
| Jan spotted this seat and
loved the curves. I was just ready for a rest but we still had more to see. |  |
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This is actually at the end of the museum but I include it here. It is a
1905 Buick Model C and is the oldest Buick still in existence. |
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