In the previous installment, I showed you some of the great Ferraris contained in the Lemay museum. Today, I want to give you a quick tour of the lobby of this fine establishment before we get too far in. As soon as we walked in the door and saw a race car, a motorcycle, and a stretch limo in the lobby, I knew we had come to the right place.
This is a papal conveyance known as the popemobile, based on a 1964 Lincoln. You can see it is a limousine, with steps on either side to carry security, and a large plexiglass shield on the roof. What you can’t see (my fault for not taking better pictures) is the opening in the roof and the steps on the floor where the vicar would stand.
This is a cool car called a Selden. It was recently in a cross-country rally, so this car is no museum piece. I believe it a 1927 model. I really like the simplicity of early cars – every component is clear to see: the gas tank is a tank, the trunk is a literal trunk, and the taillight looks like a lantern.
With seating for just two, a small trunk, and a big tank, you could almost say this was one of the first sports cars.
I have to confess, I have no idea what this is. What I remember is that this is a prototype, a one-off car that never saw production. I think it looks great.
There were quite a few two-wheel machines in the museum, including this 1955 Lambretta in the lobby.
1958 Corvette. Enough said.
Mounted on the wall like a dead animal is this 2007 A1GP chassis raced by Team USA. Of course, given the way A1GP went, it’s probably best this way. They say there are plans to bring back A1GP, but I’m not sure the world needs another spec series.
That’s it for the lobby sights. From here, we bought our tickets, got our wristbands, and made our way onto the main floor. Truly a remarkable experience, and the best way I can think of to spend a Saturday morning. Next time around, I’ll introduce you to some of my favorite longroofs in the museum.
[Images copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein]
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