Sometimes there are really good things in your back yard to which you simply pay no heed. It may be a restaurant or attraction that just fades into the landscape. Don’t let it happen!
I have been driving past the Auto World Museum, in Fulton, Missouri, for years, and I finally went there today. I’m glad I did. Many of the automobiles there you simply will not find anywhere else. Enjoy the ride!
A quick search of Wikipedia reveals that only four Lambert automobiles are known to exist today. The car at the top of the page is a 1909 Lambert, which appears to be in very original condition. The Lambert for 1909 had a two-cylinder engine with 20 horsepower. It cost $875. The lighting and the patina make the car look more wooden than it actually is.
Quick: What was one of the first hardtops? Did you say Chalmers? You should have.
This 1920 Chalmers was a true two-door hardtop; according to the car’s placard, this was a one-year-only body style for Chalmers. Fitted with a 224 cu in (3.7-liter) inline six, the Chalmers was available on either a 117″ or 224″ wheelbase with rear gear ratios of 4.75:1 and 5.18:1. Chalmers closed its doors in 1924.
The year 1932 was well-represented at the museum by Ford, Pontiac, Hudson, Packard and DeSoto. Here is the 1932 DeSoto roadster that was on display. This Custom Roadster Deluxe was one of my favorites of the day.
Six-cylinder DeSotos for 1932 had a 211 cu in (3.4-liter) inline six with 75 horsepower.
A pair of Rolls-Royces, anyone? Here are a 1928 limousine, and a 1931 drop-head coupe. There was a V16 Marmon in the same row.
The gentleman who started the museum owned a potato chip factory. All throughout the museum were a wide assortment of background pictures depicting construction of Route 66, businesses in Fulton throughout the early to mid-20th Century and different attractions in the state. One of them was of a 1938 Dodge delivery truck in the livery of the chip company. Here’s the real thing:
There’s a lot of rare iron here, the bulk of it being pre-1940. The beauty of this museum is that you can walk around the vehicles and look inside them. Roping off a car simply isn’t done here.
Revell had a model of that two-tone Roller years ago (may still have). I super-detailed one when in high school and my nephews trashed it when visiting us early in our marriage. Thought it was a Tonka, I guess.
Love the last photo of the truck – that’s my kind of museum piece, even more so if it gets driven.
In the past few days I drove by something like that and it was slowly returning to earth. Didn’t have my camera and can’t remember where it was. Senior moments turn to senior weeks. Wouldn’t have wanted to write about this one but would love to have sent it in with this comment.
Good story Jack.
Wow, what a great museum. It’s nice to see a car museum that does not contain a 57 Chevy for a change.
There are Indiana connections all over in this. That Lambert was manufactured about 25 miles from my house. Anderson, Indiana was a huge GM town with big (but now closed) plants for Guide Lamp Division and Delco-Remy. Chalmers was part of Maxwell-Chalmers that formed the basis for the modern Chrysler Corporation. Maxwell had a manufacturing plant in New Castle, Indiana which Chrysler did not close until about 10 years ago. Finally, Marmons were made in Indianapolis.
The Marmon Sixteen has always been fascinating to me as one of only two sixteen cylinder cars made in the US (Cadillac being the other).
A final note – the front end of that DeSoto is stunning. The curved radiator grille is several years ahead of its time. This is an excellent example of how Chrysler cars (Airflow excepted) were so beautiful under Raymond Dietrich’s styling leadership at Chrysler. Once Henry King took over about 1938, things would never be the same.
Thanks for asking us along. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
JP, there were even more Indiana connections there. Also on display was a breathtaking 1915 Studebaker and a 1929 Cord. Both were truly stunning. Sadly, my camera batteries decided to go south and I had no spares.
All those floating Detroit boats over the last few weeks, and your batteries run out on an L-29 Cord. Sob!
Syke, there are distinct disadvantages of having a camera with AA batteries; to the point I am realized I need to wear shirts with pockets to keep extra batteries on hand!
Nice tour, I like the panelvan there is a factory ute that model locally in my area is the british car museum my daughter wanted to go in recently so when we do Ill take the camera along for you guys.
That Brit car museum’s been on my wish list to visit for a while but Hawke’s Bay is a bit too far for a day trip, so I’m looking forward to your photos Bryce!
Thank you DeSoto – for finally showing up what a REAL brougham (automobile version) is.
Nice patina on that Lambert!
Check out the picture of that Lambert’s gearless transmission. The first CVT? No wonder only four are left, imagine keeping that running well.
Whole article about it at the Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert_friction_gearing_disk_drive_transmission
The children’s museum in Philly is called the “Please Touch Museum.” I like seeing that principle applied to old cars!
Now I want to truck around town in that ’38 Dodge handing out bags of chips to random people.