Before you even begin reading this article, I hope that the word ‘museum’ has not diminished your interest or lowered your expectations. Nowadays it may not seem as interesting to travel miles to see a line of artifacts or dusty cars when you can easily find it all online. However, there is much more to a brick-and-mortar museum than what you can experience virtually.
What are the must-see American car museums?
In this post, we will focus on five of the most peculiar American car museums. We want to show you how cars can be more than just relics. They represent the spirit of the drivers of each period. In addition, these cars symbolize freedom of movement and lifestyle changes.
BMW Car Club of America Foundation
If you are a BMW enthusiast, this is your must-go museum. Founded in 2002, in Greenville SC, the BMW CCA foundation is more than a car museum. It is one of the largest BMW collections of automobiles, journals, parts, and other BMW memorabilia outside of Germany.
Since its opening, the museum has hosted several BMW exhibitions, which zoom into specific parts of the historical BMW collection in an interactive way. One of these exhibits was “Heroes of Bavaria: 75 Years of BMW Motorsport”. This exhibit boasted 22 of the most popular race cars in the BMW history, starting from the 1939 BMW 328 roadster. Other cars included the sports legends CSLs, Formula BMW, and TiSA.
Currently, you can enjoy the museum’s “Passion: 50 Years of BMW Cars and Community” exhibit. There, you can not only admire cars from the BMW collection itself, but also non-conventional BMW vehicles owned by the CCA club members. If you happen to go past South Carolina, plan to check it out!
California Auto museum
This museum, located in Sacramento, has a collection of more than 130 cars, dating from the 1880s. The range of vehicle types if very diverse. So if you are not sure that you have a favorite car brand and want to explore different historical car designs, this museum will definitely suit your preferences.
When we say diverse, we mean it! For example, you can look at a 1915 Dodge Brothers Touring Car and then redirect your attention to a 1987 Lamborghini Countach (Malcolm Forbes). Warning: be careful though, you may get a sudden, yet pleasant brain shock from the rapid switch!
There is always some special exhibition going on at the museum. The newest one is all about microcars. If you think that the collection of these vehicles will be small and not worth it, you are wrong. So far, there are around 35 cars in the collection so far, dating from the 1940s, with less than 1500cc. You have until August 5m 2019 to delve into the world of microcars and wouldn’t want to miss it.
Petersen Automotive museum
You do not necessarily need to be a car fan to check out this museum. With the great architecture, the car-like interior design, the racing simulators, and the movie vehicles, this museum will definitely entertain you. Located in LA, with a large collection of more than 300 vehicles, it attracts hundreds of visitors each year.
If you are a true car enthusiast, you can sign up for the Petersen membership and participate in all the exhibits. Even more excitingly: in all the car racing simulations that the museum organizes. Moreover, at the car mechanical institute, you can learn about different car systems through interactive exhibits on different museum floors.
Henry Ford museum
Located in Dearborn, Michigan, the Henry Ford museum goes beyond cars. It embraces history and gives you a glimpse of the automobile role beginning with the Ford Quadricycle. Different exhibits illustrate different points in history.
For example, at the Presidential Vehicles exhibition, you can see the limousine that John F. Kennedy was riding at the time of his assassination. In another part of the museum, you can also see Rosa Parks’ s bus. Moreover, the range of automobiles in this museum also includes historical airplanes, such as the 1939 Douglas DC-3.
There are also different hands-on activities, such as building a Ford assembly line. All these activities are included in the entrance price, so you do not have to be worried about any additional charges. Just enjoy the experience!
Art car museum
This museum transmits the message that cars are not only about functionality, mechanics, or engines. They are also inspiring and embedding artistic motives. Through exhibitions of decorated cars, this museum has become one of the top attractions in Houston, Texas.
Usually, you won’t find that many cars at this museum. However, each year there is a car parade when many more cars are displayed. The amount of art that each car has, goes beyond word descriptions.
There are so many details and angles, that it is hard not to spend time admiring one specific car. So, if you are a car lover and also an art aficionado, this is one museum you would not want to miss.
How to ship collector cars?
Because of the specific nature of the cars displayed in each museum, shipping this sort of vehicles requires a very special white-glove service. All of these cars are highly valuable to their owners – be it a recently restored, barn find, or a family heirloom. These vehicles do not only have monetary worth but also sentimental one, as they are carriers of history and events.
Most collectors prefer shipping their treasure via the enclosed carrier and some may even request a single vehicle trailer.
Corsia Logistics has already built expertise and experience in shipping collector vehicles. For example, we have delivered two historical cars such as BMW RS700 and Rusty Slammington to the BMW CCA Foundation. We also have extensive experience in shipping classic and luxury cars, and our customers have been rewarding us with 5-star reviews. The key to our success is professionalism, transparency, and knowledgeability of our agents.
If you would like to receive further advice on how to ship your historical vehicle or are simply interested in a quote, do not hesitate to message, chat, or call us at: (818)850-5258.
