A Visit To The Blackhawk Auto Museum — A Car Collection That Blurs The Line Between Art and Engineering

Some car collections are impressive. Others are unforgettable. When I finally saw the Blackhawk Museum collection after missing it on an earlier visit, I quickly realized it belonged in the second category. From breathtaking luxury automobiles to one-of-a-kind coachbuilt creations, the museum showcases a world where cars like this 10th Series Packard Super Eight 7-passenger sedan were designed as much for beauty as transportation.

Some may remember that last summer, I attended an Alfa Romeo car show held in front of the Blackhawk Auto Museum. On that occasion, I thought I would see the museum’s collection after the show, but ultimately I was unable. So I made my visit later in the year and drove my 1972 Ambassador wagon down. Lots to see, so I will break it down into a couple of posts. That the cars are spectacular is an understatement, as you need to see for yourself.

First, about the museum. It was founded in 1982 by Ken Behring and Don Williams. Located in Danville, California, it moved in 1988 to a new facility designed by Doug Dahlin. It’s now part of the larger Blackhawk shopping center (more on that later). The collection includes several vehicles that once belonged to Behring, and in later years has expanded to include other non-car-related exhibits.

Ken Behring is the type of rags to riches tale that feeds the American psyche; born in poverty, he developed a lifelong affair with the automobile early on, working as a salesman for Chevrolet and Chrysler in his youth. His fortune was made in real estate however, and by the time the museum was opening in ’88, his business interests had multiplied, and he was about to become co-owner of the Seattle Seahawks.

This being CC, we’ll solely deal with the auto exhibits, which are breathtaking. A good deal of the Blackhawk collection is made up of luxury vehicles and bespoke coachbuilder models. A type of craftsmanship that isn’t seen anymore, and that blurs the line between art and industry. Don’t touch is the rule, but you can get up close and personal nonetheless.

There are also some examples from the early automotive era, like this 1902 Stanley Steamer Stick Seat Runabout, from a time when steam power still felt like the norm. This steam-powered vehicle had all of 6.5HP and a 35MPH top speed. Notice the location of the stick-style steering and seating arrangement; glimpses of the transition between carriages and cars.

Things had moved greatly forward by the time this 1910 Model 70 5-passenger Stanley Steamer was introduced. As the accompanying label said, this Model 70 Touring is “an elegant testament to the golden age of steam-powered automobiles”.

Craftmanship is meticulous on this, and it’s powered by a 2-cylinder steam engine, with 20HP. About 250 of these were built back in the day. The Stanley brothers never embraced the internal combustion engine and closed shop in 1924, ending the Stanley Steamers era.

For something far more familiar, a 1915 Ford Model T roadster.

This one was used in The Professionals, the 1966 film with Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster. That’s probably why it’s not black, like all factory-built Model Ts from 1914 to 1925.

Moving on to luxury vehicles, a 1916 Model 48-B Series 4 Pierce-Arrow. The Series 4 cars were built from 1914 to 1918 and were, perhaps, the most prestigious US-built cars of their day. Pierce-Arrow, Packard, and Peerless were known as the “Three Ps of Motoring”.

Not sure if it comes across in the photos, but these are truly massive. Taken from the museum’s label, “with its distinctive fender headlamps, the Pierce-Arrow was one of the first automakers to make extensive use of aluminum.”

This example uses and enclosed body and carriage lights similar to those used by President Woodrow Wilson.

Again, a type of craftsmanship one doesn’t see anymore.

Wondrous bespoke work on this 1926 Daimler, Star of India. Another massive vehicle that was a moving work of art; notice the snake (?) shaped horns on the fenders. Also, the removable servant seats on the running boards.

The Star of India was built for the Maharajah of Rewa, with a hand-crafted body with metal containing German Silver.

Now this car was set on a platform above the floor. I have seen the Mona Lisa; so small. I have seen the Sistine Chapel, which needed a cleaning. I have seen Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, spectacular. Well, this 1929 Duesenberg J, can’t call it Dusie, is spectacular.

The Duesenberg was legendary in its own time, and as the label indicated, “a beacon of automotive engineering brilliance.”

Powered by a mighty 420CID DOHC inline-eight, which at the time delivered unmatched performance and refinement.

And the rumble seat. This won’t be the last Duesenberg on this post.

Moving on to the 1930s, a very tasteful looking 1931 Chrysler Imperial CG Roadster.

Long hood, sweeping fenders, and a gracefully tapered rear end.

It’s powered by a 385CID side-valve eight cylinder engine,

with 125HP and that could go up to 80MPH.

And one of the first American cars to feature hydraulic brakes.

Another Duesenberg, a 1930 SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria.

A wonder of the interwar period, with a supercharged 420CID straight eight with 320HP and that could go up to 130MPH. Unreal numbers in 1930.

Luxury, now in British style with a 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. The Phantom II ran from 1929 to 1935 and used an improved 7.7L OHV inline six. This is another movie related vehicle that was featured in the 1964 film The Yellow Rolls-Royce.

This one is claimed to have gone through a nine year restoration. That renowned RR radiator shape glistens accordingly.

So does the Spirit of Ecstasy on top of it.

A tasteful and elegant 1932 Auburn Twelve Boattail Speedster, from Auburn, another American carmaker that didn’t survive the economic downturn of those years. 1932 would be the last year… for a while, before making a last appearance in 1936-1937.

The Twelve in the name alludes to the car’s V-12, and was offered from 1932-1933.

Since we’re talking luxury, Packard is bound to make an appearance. This is the 1933 Packard we opened this post with, which is a Super Eight Model 1004 7-passenger sedan

Under the hood is Packard’s rather well known 385CID side-valve straight-eight, known for its smooth delivery and ample torque.

The distinctive Packard radiator.

Optional side-mount spares with outside mirrors.

And Packard’s famous cormorant hood ornament.

A 1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 Cabriolet, one of the last automobiles built by the prestigious Spanish-French manufacturer.

Under the hood is a 5.1L inline-six, with 125HP and that made for a formidable grand tourer for the standards of the day.

Since the French were mentioned, let’s move to Molsheim, the home of Bugatti. Here are two Bugattis: a 1928 Type 37A Grand Prix Supercharged in the well-known Bugatti blue, and, facing us, a red 1936 Bugatti Type 57S roadster.

The “S” in Type 57S stands for “surbaissé,” which means “lowered” in French, referring to the low-slung chassis. The heart of this roadster is a sophisticated DOHC 3.3L inline-eight engine with 135HP. There was also a supercharged Type 57SC with 200HP. Both had impressive speed and handling for the time.

Designer Jean Bugatti, son of founder Ettore Bugatti, knew proportions and detailing well, and it shows on this cabriolet. The rear is a collection of expressive curves.

The supercharged Type 37A has a racing history, finishing 3rd in the 1928 Targa Florio, and has been in the US since 1950.

Another Hispano-Suiza, a 1935 K6 Sedanca de Ville.

The car has a “smooth and refined power delivery that was characteristic of Hispano-Suiza automobiles” and was a “favorite among aristocrats, dignitaries and celebrities of the time.”

Another expressive looking French vehicle, but of the racing kind. A 1939 Delage D6-3L Grand Prix.

Advanced aerodynamics, purposefulness and lightweight are the reasons for being of this Delage.

Under the hood, a 3.0L inline-six with triple Solex carburetors and 150HP, plus all the technology available at the time to perform and handle at extreme speeds.

Another elegant and elaborate Bugatti, a 1936 Type 57 Atalante “Bureau Top”. It’s a rare survivor in this body style, and there’s a lot of rather wild history supposedly associated with it; from being ordered by jeweler Charles Olivero in Marseille, to it perhaps being involved in the French resistance and an escape through the Congo civil war.

The FWD Cord 810/812 was built only from 1936 to 1937, but that didn’t keep them from making a lasting impression.

 This 1937 Cord B12 Supercharged Phaeton is pure streamlined art.

Another attractive Bugatti, a 1938 Type 57 Ventoux. Still dramatically styled, though slightly less flamboyant than some of the others already shown. This one rode to a then breathtaking 110mph with its 3.25L straight-eight.

Back to British models; a 1937 Bentley drophead coupé with bodywork by Windover.

Bentley had been part of Rolls-Royce since 1931, and the 4.25L Bentleys that came out in 1936 were the “last of the purely Coachbuilt Bentleys.”

Back to Packard, with a 1939 Twelve Model 1707 Convertible Victoria. Under the hood, the carmaker’s “legendary 473 cubic-inch 67 degree V12 engine, renowned for its smoothness and refined performance.”

A streamlined version of Packard’s cormorant ornament.

So there you have the interwar and prewar models that are currently in the Blackhawk Museum’s first floor (I’ll cover the postwar models in a separate post). The second floor has a large display of American Indian artifacts and African Art.

I understand that attendance is one third of what it was before Covid. I have had my office in Danville since 1982, and I recall when the Blackhawk Plaza opened, where the museum is an anchor tenant (both being built by Ken Behring). Today, 37 years after the center’s opening, there are many vacancies as businesses leave. How long the plaza stays viable, off the beaten path, is anybody’s guess. In the meantime, the museum is a nice getaway to see classics in a quiet, well sorted space.