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AN INSIDER'S LOOK AT THE GREAT CAR COLLECTIONS

I'm delighted to help promote Keith Martin's new TV show "Million Dollar Collections." As publisher of Sports Car Market and American Car Collector, Martin knows the classics and will be taking viewers inside the car collections of personal museums, curators and owners to tell the tales of how and why they did it.

The series premiere on Monday, Feb 20, uncovers the magical Milhous Collection in Boca Raton, Florida - the result of 50 years of dedicated collecting by brothers Bob & Paul Milhous. Regarded as one of the world's finest private museums, the collection boasts an unprecedented series of rare automobiles, exquisite mechanical musical instruments and collectibles, including a custom carousel. All of which will be up for auction on Feb 24-25.

This allows me to boast a little of my own background with cars and broadcasting, which predates anything on the air today. If I hadn't been having so much fun I might even be jealous of Keith's new venture. Most of it took place in Canada, by the way, so when I say "first" it applies to my country but quite probably included the USA.

As a young radio announcer in the 50s I produced the first broadcast test drive, a Studebaker Starlight coupe that I tossed around the temporarily closed runways of Timmins Ontario's airport with the agreement of a fascinated airport manager. This led to hosting "Revving Up" for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the first weekly radio show about motorsport. And from that I became host of "Wheelspin," North America's first weekly automotive television show. One of Wheelspin's features was the interviewing of of classic collectors, but where Keith will be visiting the collections, the collectors came to us.

I was also the action announcer for the first live telecast of a motor race in Canada (from Mosport). I announced the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport for the CBC, and did the first radio play-by-play of the Sebring 12-hours, also for the CBC. According to the station manager the race action outdrew an NHL hockey game, which is quite extraordinary for Canada. The CBC's Bob McGegor and I also covered the Indy 500 and the Shell 4000 (Trans Canada) Rally from Montreal to Vancouver.

There was more, including my own class-championship sedan racing, but before I could turn these efforts into a lifetime career I executed a four-wheel-drift as an ad agency copywriter, and later creative director, in New York, London, and Toronto. Years later I was back into radio with Tales of the Open Road, 60-second spots that were half automotive history and half dealer promos. And now I'm an Internet guy, happily producing Marque1.com. Behind that lies more than 50 years of automotive media history.

My only regret is that Keith's Velocity show may not appear on our Vancouver cable outlet. Described as "an upscale male lifestyle network" Velocity is part of the Discovery group and while we do get the latter, its programming is selective. But I do recommend it to you and as for Keith Martin...  "congratulations, Keith, but I was there first." Though as my ex-wife used to remind me, "that and 25 cents won't get you a cup of coffee."

TOUR OF A LIFETIME FOR ITALIAN CAR ENTHUSIASTS

If you admire Italian sports cars (and who doesn't?) here's one event you won't want to miss. It's the annual Car Guy Tour, which kicks off on the beautiful shores of Lake Como and runs for ten days, beginning May 6th and ending May 16th, 2012. Organised each year by Frank Mandarano and sponsored by Keith Martin's Sports Car Graphic, the Car Guy Tour visits the great styling centers, including Italdesign, Pininfarina, Zagato and Bertone. It will also visit world-class restoration shops and major collections.

As if that were not enough, the Tour will take you to legendary companies such as Maserati, the Maserati Collection, Lamborghini, Borrani, Pagani, Schedoni and the Alfa Romeo Collection. Is Ferrari included? You bet it is. Participants will spend one complete day in Maranello visiting all that is Ferrari: including the Ferrari Galleria, the first official Ferrari Store, a Ferrari F1 warm up, with time for shopping and lunch at the famous Cavallino Ristorante.

According to the Car Guy Tour's car guys "May is one of the most beautiful months to be in Italy; the sidewalk cafes are bustling, the flowers are in full bloom, and the number of tourists are at a lower level." Having been there in May, for an entire month, I couldn't agree more. I would also go along with the suggestion that you come early and enjoy Lake Como. Take the fast boat to Bellagio for lunch or the slow boat for a leisurely tour of the lake, getting off to explore the little villages and coffee bars. And keep an eye for those gorgeous wood-hulled Riva speedboats, the Ferraris of the boating world.

The Tour will officially end in Modena, the "automotive and gastronomic capital of the world." But you might want to allow yourself a little more time and take in the Historic Monaco Grand Prix on the weekend of May 12th and 13th. This will be the perfect time to experience beautiful Monte Carlo and the period European racing cars on the circuit and at speed.

The price may seem a little steep if you don't have deep pockets but to be honest I think it's quite reasonable considering all that's included. Tickets for a person traveling alone are $6,000; for a double they're $8,200 ($4,100 per person). Air fare is extra but if you act now you should be able to find a discount. In fact, if the Car Guy Tour appeals, I'd suggest signing on soon, for seats are limited. More information is available from the Car Guy Tour Website, by e-mailing to frank@carguytour.com, or by calling Frank Mandarano direct at (206) 310-8380.

MERCEDES RESPECTS CORPORATE HISTORY WITH RESTORATION OF OLDEST 300 SL

No doubt all automobile manufacturers respect their corporate histories but the Germans do more to preserve the cars that made them successful than those of any other country. At least that's the way it seems when you regard the fabulous museums of BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. Not only do they populate them with a broad selection of vehicles representing the marque, they also have little hesitation in restoring some of the rarest and putting them on display, or even providing demonstration runs at vintage race meets.

The latest, and one of the most stunning, is featured in a Hemmings newsletter article by Mike McNessor. His fascinating story details the restoration of the second in a line of ten original Mercedes 300 SL racecars. The very first 300 SL was destroyed by the factory decades ago but in this instance Number Two is equally worthy of our admiration and respect. It has been with Mercedes since it was hand-built in 1951-52 and holds the distinction of being the oldest SL in existence. With the SL celebrating its 60th anniversary this year Mercedes decided to display the car looking as close to new as possible, without totally removing the patina absorbed during its fabled history.

As Mike reports, the car was used as a training and backup vehicle for the race team, and was never involved in an accident, so the chassis and body panels were as straight as original. It is one of the two vehicles built by hand in Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s Stuttgart-Untertürkheim racing workshop. The ensuing eight 300s were used mainly for racing in 1952 and were manufactured in the Sindelfingen factory. As related in Mike's story "the restoration of the original bodywork was particularly complex and took about five months to complete, from May to September of last year. Mercedes-Benz’s experts strove to make the delicate shell look like it was formed out of one piece of sheetmetal as it originally did, working out previous restoration efforts and deformities that happened over the years along the way."

The 3-liter, overhead-cam six was actually a reworked version of the engine in the Mercedes 300 (W186) luxury sedan. Output was boosted to around 170 hp. It was placed in the tube chassis at a 50-degree left-tilt so it would fit under the car’s streamlined hood. Today's equally meticulous German engineers rebuilt the original engine then ran it for ten hours on a test stand. The chassis was completed in the course of several months at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, with every single component cleaned, examined and reconditioned where necessary.

The interior has been fitted with new blue tartan seat covers, but the headliner and the rest of the interior fabric were cleaned and replaced. The aluminum seat frames were reused without needing any significant work. All of the other appointments, such as the wooden steering wheel, gearshift knob and gauges, are also original pieces. As Mike McNessor says, "the finished product is an amazing piece of automotive history and a testament to the work Mercedes-Benz Classic is performing on old Benzes these days." And proof, once more, that when it comes to auto manufacturers preserving and displaying their past, no one does it better than the Germans.

[With thanks to Hemmings and Mike McNessor]

THE MULLIN MUSEUM, AN HOMAGE TO ART DECO AND FRENCH CAR DESIGN

An article in the New York Times Wheels newsletter drew my attention to the magnificent Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. The Times article explains that "Rétromobile, the annual collector car show held in Paris in early February, this year will feature 10 significant French cars from the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., many of them having not been exhibited in France since they were new." That comment prompted me to view the Museum's Web site for a better look. Now I'm declaring that some day I must visit live and in person. And it's not just about the cars.

Mr. Mullin is a fan of art deco design and the machine age – eras that produced exquisite art and magnificent automobiles. The building was previously owned by newspaperman Otis Chandler who once housed a  collection of vintage automobiles and motorcycles in what is now the revamped museum structure.  After Mr. Chandler’s death in 2006, Mr. Mullin acquired the property, then called “The Vintage,” and began an extensive remodeling. The structure includes a solar photovoltaic roof system to capture energy and a planted "green" roof, making the building less dependent on traditional sources of power.

Peter Mullin also loves the curvaceous lines of classic French cars from the 1930s and has collected rare examples of the finest, from Bugatti to Voisin to Delahaye, as well as significant  and representative decorative art from this same period. The museum includes no less than 30 Bugattis, including several from the once-secretive Schlumpf collection in France.

The interior of the Mullin Museum is alone worthy of a visit. It's a two-story structure, and when the main floor exhibit is viewed from the balconies above it resembles a period Paris Auto Show, complete with car manufacturer's signage. All the furnishings are designed in art deco style, as is the architectural detailing and what appears in the photo to be an elegant bar. If I'm wrong about the latter it's only because I've yet to see it in person, but the Mullin Museum has now soared to the top of my list of great car places that I absolutely must visit.

[Photos: Mullin Automotive Museum]

THE AMAZING MILHOUS AUCTION: A ONCE IN A LIFETIME AFFAIR

The Milhous Collection auction by RM in association with Sotheby's, in Boca Raton, Florida, February 24-25, was one I almost overlooked. At first glance it appeared to be just another sale of antique musical instruments with a few classic cars to whet the appetite. I couldn't have been more wrong. The cars are equally spectacular. For example, the 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial seen above. This one-off Imperial, with body by LeBaron, was the personal car of famed automotive designer Ralph Roberts and his wife. It has been superbly restored with all its designer features intact and in my opinion may be the most elegant of all classic Chryslers.

Though the cars are indeed quite special, mechanical musical instruments are a highlight of the collection. This is one of the world's most notable assemblies of fair and dance organs, orchestrions and theatre organs, centered by an Illions-style carousel from the early 1920s that was custom built for the Milhous Collection. It was constructed over four years with all 42 intricate animal figures built by hand from historically accurate designs. It is truly a one-of-a-kind, fully functioning work of art.

These musical instruments, including rare "player pianos" that played piano music exactly as recorded by the artists, are an amazing example of how mechanical ingenuity produced musical sounds long before electronic instruments were introduced. In addition there is an extensive assortment of petroliana, neon and porcelain signs, and rare and unique gasoline-powered tether cars and models. There is also a large assortment of decorative art pieces from names like Pierre Renoir, Louis Icart and Alphonse Mucha. Several iconic timepieces, including rare tower and street clocks by Seth Thomas and Howard, are included.

The two brothers, Paul and Bob Milhous, had built their collections separately but agreed to combine them in the mid-1970s. After outgrowing four other locations, they constructed the current 39,500 sq. ft. building in Boca Raton, Florida in the mid-1990s. Amazingly, their private collection was never open to the public on a daily basis although it has been host to hundreds of charity events that helped raise millions over the years. You can watch a video, complete with sound, of one of these extraordinary musical marvels, just by clicking here.

ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO VISIT MUNICH

Some of the most beautiful BMWs in the company's remarkable history were what it calls "the big Coupes and Convertibles." They range from the pre-war era's 327 Sports Convertible and 327/28 Sports Coupe to the contemporary 6-Series, unveiled in 2011. You can see them in a special display at the BMW Museum in Munich until the end of September, 2012.

"The Line of Beauty – The big BMW Coupes and Convertibles" is a show you won't want to miss if you're traveling in Germany.

I would love to be there, if only to view the BMW 502 Coupe and Convertible of the same name, along with the 503 Coupe (above) from the 1950s. These elegant cars were the first from the pre-war era and were developed from the 8-cylinder 502 sedans that had been launched in 1954 and were known as the "Baroque Angel" because of their aristocratic lines. To be honest, I've never seen a 502 or 503 in the metal and yet I find them absolutely fascinating. The styling is unique to the period, when auto design still allowed for non-functional flourishes.

My first awareness of BMW came during the 1960s when the 2000 sedan made its bow in Canada and I had a chance to test drive one. It left me sufficiently impressed that when the Bertone-designed BMW 2000 CS appeared at the New York show I was completely won over. It was replaced by the elegant BMW 3.0 CSi in the 1970s and then, in 1976, the initial 6-Series range.

I had a chance to test drive a BMW 850 CSi coupe on the track during an Automobile Journalists of Canada "Car of the Year" test fest and while most of my colleagues showed little interest because of the car's size and weight I had great fun drifting it through the corners, for the powerful V-8 coupe handled just as one would expect of a luxurious BMW.

Seeing all these magnificent automobiles in one place would merit a journey worth taking. Actually, any trip to Munich is a journey worth taking.

[Photos: BMW]

LEE ROY HARTUNG COLLECTION DRIVES THIS NEAT-FREAK CRAZY

I'll admit it. I'm a neat freak. I prefer everything in order, no scrap or junk hanging around, all the spoons and forks lined up to the millimetre. Everything in my condo looks as though it was designed to be there, which in a way it was. I'm not a designer but in an earlier time of life I wanted to be and so I play at being one by organising (and endlessly reorganising) the furniture and accessories and by having fun with colour. What's more, I'm a total modernist where taste is concerned, one who prefers his environment to look brand new, one who is not easily impressed by the "patina" on unrestored collector cars.

So you can imagine my reaction when Nigel Matthews e-mailed a link to the Lee Roy Hartung collection, which will be auctioned off in early November by RM’s Auctions America. Some might see it as a giant barn find but I call it a giant mess of collector cars and automobilia of which nothing appears to have been restored or even catalogued. No doubt Mr. Hartung, who passed away earlier this year, knew every little item and could tell you exactly where everything was located but lock me in there for an hour and I'd go mad.

The collection – known as Hartung’s Auto Museum – near Chicago, was the result of more than five decades of collecting by Hartung, who claimed that the items all came from chance encounters and house clearances within 15 miles of Glenview, his hometown. He must have liked sports cars, for among the consignments are a Spohn-bodied BMW Veritas Convertible, a 1959 Fiat Spider, and an Edwards America that won Best of Class at the inaugural Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1950.

Other gems include a customised 1936 Lincoln V-12 and a 1926 Hertz (built for the car rental market), along with a 1937 Pontiac. Yet another highlight is a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom I, which is believed to have been in storage since 1949 following an incident when a passenger was fatally ejected from a faulty suicide door. Those who like motorcycles will be fascinated to learn that Mr. Hartung's collection also includes a raft of rare early motorcycles, including an untouched 1911 Pope, a 1912 Sears Twin and a 1913 Flying Merkel Twin.

As the UK's Classic and Sports Car magazine reports, "all the cars and motorcycles are buried in a sea of motoring and aviation ephemera, from US licence plates (possibly the largest number in the world) to mascots, automotive instruments, and signs, as well as petroliana and gas pumps." Now there's something I could really enjoy, given that I'm fascinated by automobilia. Perhaps someone will buy the lot, then hire me to organise it into the world's first automobilia museum. With a totally modern facade, of course.

You may find it odd that with my preference for contemporary design, I remain a classic car enthusiast. (No... make that a classic car, train, boat, and plane enthusiast.) The answer to the mystery is simple enough. When it comes to transportation, vintage delivers a romance, an elegance, and a beauty that's lacking in today's ultra-efficient, computer-designed machines. No doubt Lee Roy Hartung would have agreed with me. If only he...

WHERE ARE YOU SOPHIA? VINTAGE SCOOTERS GO ON SHOW

Scooters, once the vehicles of choice for those who've moved up from the bicycle but can't afford a motorcycle or car, are making a comeback. Higher gas prices plus the need for greener transportation are behind this new-found popularity, and not just in the streets of Rome and Milan. Here in North America scooters are becoming popular, especially in big cities. What's more, some are driven entirely by electricity as battery-powered models become alternatives to gas-driven machines.

What better time, then, for a brand-new display of vintage scooters at Los Angeles' Petersen Automotive Museum? The scooter collection opens Saturday, June 18th and runs concurrently with the supercar collection, though the little guys will remain on show through 2012. More than 90 scooters will be displayed, ranging from clip-on engine packages that attached to bicycles, to Vespa scooters and Cushman minibikes. According to Hemmings old scooters have been getting harder to find in restorable condition.

To mark the historical importance of this display the Petersen Museum is hosting Scooters and Supercars Day on July 9. The highlight will be a supercar and scooter show where the public is invited to bring their own scooters and supercars. Special guest Steve Saleen will be on hand to speak about his racing days and his manufacturing business. Technical how-to sessions on detailing will also be conducted by Griot’s Garage. For those with fond memories of scooters in their past and for those who think a scooter should be in their future, this promises to be a fascinating day.

The only thing missing? Movies where scooters played a role, either as wheels for the stars or whizzing through the narrow streets of Italy. There must have been hundreds, with and without the beautiful Sophia Loren.

[Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum]

Good News Happens Twice in Classic Car World

Two of America's greatest car museums made news last week, almost as though they were working in tandem (it was just a co-incidence). The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles announced that it has received the stunning gift of $100 million from Margie Petersen and the Margie & Robert E. Petersen Foundation to continue and grow the famed museum founded by the late Robert E. Petersen. The gift, announced by the museum’s board of directors, is comprised of a substantial unrestricted financial gift, a matching challenge, the 300,000-square foot building that the Museum has occupied since it opened in 1994, and an important collection of cars assembled by Petersen during his lifetime.

“I am fulfilling a vision that Mr. Petersen and I shared and planned to do someday,” Margie Petersen said in announcing the gift. “I am so happy that this day has come and that I can launch the museum into a new era of growth and expansion. “While I expect the resources of the museum to be available to the world, this gift is especially designed to the benefit of the Los Angeles community where we made our lives together.” One of the Crown Jewels of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection is the 1925/34 Rolls-Royce Phantom I (above), known as "The Round Door Rolls."

Call it serendipity if you like, but as that incredible gift was being announced the operators of the LeMay Museum, ACM, informed us that the Tacoma, Wash., project, built mostly through philanthropic funding, will have its grand opening on May 19, 2012. True, that's more than a year away but this is really more than a car museum. Starting with the cars that Harold LeMay had collected for his own amusement, and then for the public to visit on special occasions, the 9-acre campus will have 15 galleries housing up to 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and the LeMay collection, which amassed a Guinness Book of World Records total of more than 3,500 vehicles in the mid-‘90s.  “Harold never met a car he didn’t like,” says Nancy LeMay about her late husband. (Note how, in both instances, it's the ladies who continue their husband's legacy. Bless them for understanding and appreciating car love.)

“We’ve managed to build a museum (which began construction in June 2010) during difficult economic times when nearly everybody said it couldn’t be done,” says ACM President and CEO David Madeira, who has been at the museum’s helm since 2002.  “I’m proud to say we are creating ‘a destination’ in addition to a museum, which we project to annually attract 425,000 visitors and result in $34 million for the local economy.”

The above news has caused me to wonder if a grand museum tour might be organised in 2012, beginning in Vancouver, BC, with stopovers at the LeMay Museum, one or two interesting collections along the way, and terminating at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. Or, because not everyone owns a classic, doing it by rail. As a train enthusiast as well as a car lover, that's my idea of a genuine good time. Any takers?

Sarasota Classic Car Museum Has the Cars, Lacks Style

You're visiting Sarasota, Florida. You enjoy collector cars. You're looking for something to do. In which case I can recommend the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, located on Highway 41 a few yards north of the airport entrance. Look closely, though, for the museum is not well sign-posted, nor does it have examples parked outside to stimulate your interest. (The Lamborghini in the photo was that of a visitor, a guy who likes to go fast but not on public roads. He was headed for Sebring for some track day fun.)

Inside, I'm happy to report, you'll find a large number of antiques, classics, and special interest vehicles. Beatle fans will discover cars once owned by John Lennon, though none as unusual as the "Yellow Submarine" Rolls-Royce limo based in Victoria's British Columbia Museum. Paul McCartney's special Mini sits alongside, a reminder of the days when those lovely little cars were given custom treatments by several builders. Among the rarest gems is a 1923 Jowett phaeton, a diminutive 1928 Austin Brooklands racer (below), and a prototype Dodge Viper coupe. Muscle car enthusiasts won't be disappointed, for there are several desirable examples on show.



During our visit an E-Type was being wheeled into place next to a totally modern XJ220 supercar, as part of a unique Jaguar display. Hopefully the museum owners will soon be able to add other Jaguar road models, including sedans, to a display that has superb potential.

Wandering around the premises will lead you to a showroom of vintage automobiles for sale. It was closed when we were there but a peek through the glass hinted at some fascinating opportunities for collectors. The museum also has a small display of models and literature and even some antique pianos. It's a casual place where you're free to wander at leisure; the management and staff are both friendly and helpful. Having said that, I hope the owners won't be too annoyed (I'd like to return some day!) if I add a few suggestions as to how this museum could be improved.

To begin, the exterior is bland and uninviting. And, as suggested, a rotating display of one or more vintage autos would certainly attract passing drivers. The interior needs a total renovation for it has no style, no warmth, no excitement, no sense of history. It could do with a serious renovation by professional interior designers. Cars  are placed too close together. A few dioramas (I saw only one) would add much to the historical significance of vehicles that represent, not just the cars, but the environment in which they operated. Similarly the signage should be more accessible, placed higher and better lit. Indeed, good lighting is a weakness in some areas. Without it any museum can seem depressing. And finally, the lobby has as much charm as a mausoleum.

A very rare 1923 Jowett

Now that I'm in this deep I may as well comment on what seems to be an almost total lack of marketing. Auto museums, if they're to be really successful, need to be marketed and advertised. They need to be seen as part of the community, not just on a list of tourist "to do's." They should be an education resource for kids from local schools, with conducted group tours by museum management plus visits to the classrooms themselves. Parades, festivals, even open-air markets present an opportunity to meet the public and further encourage museum visits. Active public relations with frequent news releases are essential to grow the business. I'm not claiming that none of the above has been done but my brother Alan, a long-time resident of Sarasota and a car guy, says he's never seen nor heard of such happenings.

As an example of this lack of publicity we only learned a few hours after it had ended that a gathering of 180 privately owned collector cars had convened in the museum's expansive parking area that very morning. Neither Alan not I had spotted a word about the event in the Sarasota newspapers or tourist brochures. We would certainly have been there to join in the fun and chat with car owners.

Yes, it's easy to be critical, and even easier to make proposals with other people's money, but the Sarasota Classic Car Museum (second oldest in the nation) has great potential for its owners, the community, and the classic car fans who would visit in greater numbers if these suggestions were followed. Meanwhile, if you're in the area, do yourself a favour and pay the museum a visit. After all, it's the cars that count.

[Photos: Philip Powell]