Sarasota Classic Car Museum
When I travel, I try to check out the local classic car scene.
I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent classic car collection in Florida at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum (SCCM). That's a picture of my friend Randy showing off his "classic" 1997 Mercury Marquis in front of the museum.
When you think about it, Sarasota is the perfect place for a car collection. There are plenty of elderly retired folk down there. Not only do they have time and the interest in revisiting the cars of their youth, they're also looking for places to put their treasured old rides for posterity. Rather than just give that Gullwing Mercedes to their 18 year-old grandson, they can donate it to the museum collection, where it can be enjoyed by many future car buffs.
Open to the public since 1952, SCCM maintains a rotating collection of 100 cars. They love the celebrity car, like all museums — they have John Lennon's Mercedes, Paul McCartney's Mini and Don Garlits' dragster on display.
SCCM was recently the recipient of the "Madman" Muntz Collection. Muntz was the father of wacky used car advertising for early television. He led an incredible life (he died in 1987), and amassed an equally incredible and wacky car collection. There's a documentary about his life making the festival circuits right now — Madman Muntz: American Maverick by Dan Bunker and Judy ver Mehr. I haven't see it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
Are there any cool car collections in your area we should know about?
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