AN INFUSION OF HIGH-TEST PETROL: Take Virtual Visits to the World’s Best Automotive Museums
April 27, 2020
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Eric Becker
As luck would have it, the internet is fulfilling a promise: educating, inspiring and distracting us – all without the need of ever leaving your home … or getting out of bed, for that matter! So, fix yourself a “Quarantini” and enjoy a virtual meandering through these top-tier automotive institutions stacked with the finest machines on the planet.
A 1909 Ford Model T and 1906 Model N are among the vehicles in the Driving America exhibit at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. (PHOTO: Gary Malerba for The Henry Ford)
Starting off with our friends in Detroit, you can stroll around the GM Heritage Center and The Henry Ford via Google Street Views, and their websites offer a host of interactive options sure to satiate any gearhead’s wanderlust. The GM Heritage Center offers a look back in time, showcasing the evolution of GM’s many brands over the years as well as an unparalleled media archive with hundreds of period-correct adverts and testing footage, as well as galleries showcasing the collection.
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant offers a deep dive into history, with a magnificent display of Ford’s earliest models and just how significant the Model T was in crafting the modern automotive world. Though digital assets can’t replace the brick-and-mortar feel of a museum, that hasn’t stopped The Henry Ford from producing dozens of interactive lessons for the young engineer in your life and more. Their website could keep inquisitive automotive minds busy for hours – start by discovering the Driving America exhibit. The museum combines the best of Ford’s automotive legacy and the pioneering spirit of and great inventions of American aviation.
The “Light Bus” of Woodstock fame is among the vehicles in a special exhibit at the AACA Museum.
Strolling through eight decades of automotive history, the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, takes a “Virtual Visit” to new heights. Led by the museum’s Executive Director Jeffrey Bliemeister, the tours lead viewers through an experience exploring the automotive world as seen at the turn of the century. Everything from an interactive working machine shop to learning the art of blacksmithing, forging and machining parts is explored. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum offers a series of wonderful exhibits, among which are the vehicles of the “Counterculture” and those that “Protect and Serve.”
Making the best of a bad situation – the Corvette Cave In Experience at the National Corvette Museum.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2014. Eight Corvettes were swallowed up by a massive 30-foot sinkhole, but the museum has made the best of a bad situation ‒ a full 360-degree virtual experience is available, complete with interactive features and security recordings of the collapse. Opening in the early 1990s, the museum is the perfect spot for the Corvette aficionado. The museum, with every Corvette model from 1953 to the new mid-engine C8, can be “visited” on Google’s Street View, and they have rolled out new video content that includes a kid-friendly educational series, “Vettecademy,” and a Corvette enthusiast-centric series called “Fully Vetted” with loads of new episodes each week.
Elegant displays at California’s Mullin Museum.
The Oxnard, California-based Mullin Automotive Museum is really a shrine to the world of automotive high couture. Founded by Peter Mullin, the museum boasts a staggering collection of some of the world’s finest automobiles from the Art Deco period. The collection highlights the speed and streamlined design language of the day, with examples from Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago and Voisin. The Mullin Automotive Museum is offering free themed, and interactive, tours via Instagram, live streamed every Tuesday at 10 a.m. PST. Thanks to the wonders of technology, the museum can be further explored via Google Street View, allowing us to “walk around” and appreciate the Bugatti centric collection, and admire the artistry of the “Mona Lisa of the automotive world,” the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.
You don’t even have to be a car buff to appreciate the Hollywood Dream Machines exhibit at The Petersen. (PHOTO: Petersen Automotive Museum)
Settled on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, The Petersen Automotive Museum has always been a world-class car destination. Since its opening in 1994, The Petersen has played crucial role in preserving automotive history and culture. Barrett-Jackson even held a few auctions on the grounds in the early 2000s. The Petersen is offering a vast assortment of content for all ages. If a journey to the past suits your needs, Google Street View offers a virtual walkaround tour prior to the museum’s renovation. A free, hour-long digital vault tour led by collection manager Dana Williamson, as well as “Deep Dives” into their collections, is available on their website, providing viewers an opportunity to see hundreds of the rarest cars on earth. From Hollywood movie cars like the 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible, aka “Greased Lightning” and cars owned by Steve McQueen to the armored Mercedes-Benz of the infamous former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos (shoes not included) and a 1925 Rolls Royce Phantom I, this collection does not disappoint.
You can take a virtual walk around the impressive LeMay Museum just south of Seattle.
Just south of Seattle and right across from the Tacoma Dome, the LeMay Museum houses an astonishing collection of automobiles, from Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster to Cadillac’s 2003 Sixteen concept. Take a virtual walk around the museum to view some of the over 350 cars on display, many belonging to Harold LeMay, who earned a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records as the holder of the largest private automobile collection.
No air ticket needed – you can take a virtual walk through the Lamborghini Museum in Italy.
Though not necessarily a museum, a virtual visit to the McLaren Technology Centre, home to some of the greatest racing cars on the planet, is well worth your time. Housing everything from Ayrton Senna’s championship winning MP 4/4 to the Chevrolet big-block-powered McLaren Cam-Am cars, McLaren’s Woking, U.K.-based headquarters is sight to behold. The main lobby displays a treasure trove of the brand’s racing legacy and the grounds are an architectural masterpiece.
If you need more of supercar fix, then the Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, offers a virtual tour via Google Street View. Models from the marque’s storied history are on full display, as is a wealth of technical information, enough to satisfy any gearhead. A timeline of production models intertwined with design studies and prototypes add to the wonderful extravagance that only Lamborghini could offer.
Fans of the Prancing Horse will delight in a virtual visit to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy.
A short stretch down the road resides Lamborghini’s chief and greatest rival, Ferrari. Uniquely, there are two museums for the Scuderia’s “Tifosi” to digitally explore and enjoy. The Ferrari Museum sits adjacent to Ferrari’s factory in Maranello and houses some of the brand’s great racing cars – everything from Michael Schumacher’s and Nikki Lauda’s Formula 1 contenders to great endurance racers like the 1970 512 S. Just be wary: There is a lot of Rosso Corsa. For those interested in a more historical setting, the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in Modena tours the very building Enzo Ferrari grew up in and called home. The museum shares a personal history of the brand’s founder and is complete with the prancing-horse-adorned Alfa Romeos he campaigned prior to forming the legendary brand, as well as the very first Ferraris Enzo himself built.
Toyota’s museum in Japan not only showcases some fine examples of the marque, but delves into the history of the automobile itself.
As one of the largest automakers in the world, it should come as no surprise that Japanese auto giant Toyota created a museum of their motoring works. Located in Nagakute, Japan, the Toyota Automobile Museum tells more than just the story of the company’s founding; it also delves into the history of the automobile itself. Everything from the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, Mercedes-Benz 300SLs, Morgan Three-Wheelers and more are on display. Thanks to Google, you can take a virtual stroll through the museum, an ode to great cars from all over the world. It’s also home to the greatest collection of Toyotas – past, present and future – anywhere in the world.
The Mercedes-Benz museum houses one of the finest single-manufacturer collections on Earth.
The final two museums are a given to make any Teutonic automobile fan weak in the knees. Located in the rolling vineyards of Stuttgart – yes, there are vineyards in Germany – the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums offer some of the most defining collections of any automotive institution. Opened in 2006, the Mercedes-Benz museum houses one of the finest single-manufacturer collections on Earth. Designed by Dutch architectural firm UNStudio, the museum is themed around a double-helix. Over 160 automobiles are on display, covering every surface, from walls to ceilings. The stunning collection highlights everything from the world’s oldest car manufacturer. From the 300SLRs campaigned by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss to the rotary-powered C111, globe-trotting Gelandewagen (G-Wagen), and various commercial and racing vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz museum offers a section-by-section tour on its website as well as a number of 360-degree videos via YouTube. The museum can also be viewed on Google Street View.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Porsche’s all-conquering 917, and the Porsche Museum has a stunning display for one of Stuttgart’s finest race cars.
The Porsche Museum is a monument to its namesake, housing everything from the Ferdinand Porsche-designed Beetle to the motorsports legends of Dakar and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and even a rather important tractor. Google Street View offers Porsche-philes an in-depth look at over 80 historic models, all while maintaining a safe distance and skipping any lines. Porsche’s website also presents a virtual tour for those combatting the quarantine blues.
The ambition and intelligence on physical display can now be brought right into your living room – all thanks to the magic of the “interwebs.” Most importantly, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we can still explore and enjoy the very best automotive eye candy the world has to offer.