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3500 Vintage Cars - Worlds Largest


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A college buddy of mine who goes back 35 years and I recently reconnected and decided a trip to see the LeMay Auto Collection (tacoma, Washington) would be a good basis for a reacquaintance visit. It was.

 

LeMay was beyond an avid collector. At the time of his death he had over 3500 vintage vehicles. If you do the arithmetic, he had to be acquiring vehicles at the rate of several a week!

 

There are “only” 350 on display at any one time. I visited the famed Harrahs Collection in the early 1960’s but this one impressed me more.

 

I took hundreds of photos, but will post only a few to give some sense of the collection. The tour takes two hours and is a little like taking a drink out of a fire house. There is so much to see and appreciate, I considered my first visit to be just a scouting mission.

 

The collection has some very rare automobiles but frankly I loved the cars of the last 70 years the most. The vast majority are American and the 30’s through the 60’s are well represented. Being a one time Chevrolet fan, seeing almost every year between the late 20’s and the early 60’s all in a row was awesome. I now realize that my first Chevrolet was a 1950, not a 1951!

 

I’m going to post just a few photos, but nothing but a visit will even begin to tell the story.

 

ARP9150078.jpg

ARP9150122.jpg

ARP9150144.jpg

ARP9150175.jpg

ARP9150181.jpg

ARP9150225.jpg

ARP9150236.jpg

 

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David,

Thanks for keeping us on the road with this great item from Tacoma. There are some great looking cars there and excellent photography of the them as well. Thanks for the information, especially on the 43 anniversary of the airing of the final episode of Route 66. It was a great way to start getting our kicks today.

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David,

Thanks for keeping us on the road with this great item from Tacoma. There are some great looking cars there and excellent photography of the them as well. Thanks for the information, especially on the 43 anniversary of the airing of the final episode of Route 66. It was a great way to start getting our kicks today.

 

Dave,

 

Thanks for the kind words! I really appreciate them.

 

And I had no idea I had so strategically timed the posting!!

 

I looked for a Triumph of your vintage but did not see one. They had only a few non American models among the 350 on display, but I would guess that there are more British automobiles in storage. I did get a few Hudson shots for Hester-Nec.

 

I thought the automobiles were very accessible, in that you could get within inches. The temptation was to touch the bodywork or rub the upholstery. I wanted to jump in a few and try out the controls! But no can do.

 

I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I am using a new camera with optical image stabilization, which I have previously considered useful primarily for long telephoto shots. However it really shines where there is limited light, or you don’t want to use a flash, and you have to handhold a shot at a tenth or even a quarter of a second. Almost all the photos I took came out without motion blur.

 

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Dave,

And I had no idea I had so strategically timed the posting!!

 

I check several sources of Automotive history each morning for my email signature. Since we switched to the forum format it no longer appears on my posts here.

 

Thanks for the Tucker photo. I have been fascinated by these cars since I first saw one in a museum back in the late sixties, and then saw one on the road in Hershey while waiting to carpool for work in 1974. It was before 6 am and a monocled Mercer Raceabout and a Tucker Torpedo both drove by heading back to the CCCA show. Until the movie, few people my age even knew about the car.

 

What type of camera did you select? My wife just got a new digital with the image stabilization software, and it helps her in photography as well. I appreciate when people do not do flash photography in most museum settings, and laugh when they aim straight into a glass case and fire the strobe back into the lens.

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Dave,

 

I have a few more shots of the Tucker, which follow.

 

ARTuckerBack1.jpg

ARTuckerBack2.jpg

ARTuckerSide.jpg

 

Incidentally, these three shots have been run through an HDR process to enhance the shadows and highlights so you can better see details in the engine compartment. Each shot is a composite of 5 images taken at different exposures...all handheld!!! A close examination of these three will reveal a tiny bit of misalignment among the five seperate photos that make up each final photo (see the background in the last photo) but that is probably in the HDR post processing software alignment process, which I could correct if I wasn't lazy.

 

I currently use five digitals, though it is evident that having several cameras doesn’t make me a better photographer! Two are paired for three D stereo, one is a 24mm wide angle Nikon (which is about to be retired as it has been effectively replaced by the new camera), one fits in my shirt pocket and goes wherever I go on the road, and the fifth is my latest, with the image stabilization, an Olympus 550UZ.

 

I wanted a wide angle to long telephoto and optical image stabilization so I bought the Olympus a couple of months ago. It goes between 28mm and about 520mm, and obviously must have good stabilization for telephoto handheld shots, or everything would come out blurred.

 

As you probably know, but I mention it here for others, there is a difference between “optical” and “digital” stabilization, and you have to read the specs carefully not to be confused. Digital stabilization simply automatically sets the camera to a faster shutter speed at telephoto, therefore reducing the effects of shake or subject movement.

 

That is swell, except it only works when you have lots of light, which very often isn’t the case for me. The advantage is that it is easier to implement and therefore doesn’t add as much to the cost of a camera.

 

True optical stabilization is more complex and works at all shutter speeds and in all light. It costs more, but makes all the difference in the world between getting a blurry, seemingly out of focus shot, and a clear, sharp image in low light or at long telephoto. It doesn’t change the shutter speed, it mechanically compensates for camera movement by moving lens elements or “film” plane.

 

I have come to appreciate the Olympus for its low light capabilities. The photos posted were shot at 1600 ASA (normal would in the 50 to 400 range) and at as low as a tenth of a second. I assure you I cannot get decent photos often at a tenth of a second handheld, without optical stabilization. A careful look will show considerable “noise” at the 1600 setting, but not so much as to disappoint most of us who aren’t pros.

 

I’m not bragging up my photos, or the Olympus, but this was my first effort to photograph automobiles inside in 45 years. The fact that they came out at all is amazing. Had I used flash, the reflections would have been a problem, and the distance from front to rear for a car, would have overexposed the foreground and the background would have been near black in most cases. Shots taking in many cars would have been grossly underexposed with flash. In short, it would not have worked. Optical image stabilization made all the difference.

 

Well enough camera talk! Enjoy the Tucker shots!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Thanks for the photos! I had a dream once where models were lined up by year as opposed to just thrown together. I never knew that setup actually existed!

 

The older road memorabilia is nice to look at as well. Texaco is certainly well-represented!

 

My hometown used to host a small auto show once a year. It was fun seeing the cars, but even then I didn't care for the heavily modified ones that always seem to pop up. From the pictures you've shown, the LeMay collection doesn't seem to have those.

 

Tracy

Edited by cityboy1986
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I visited the LeMay collection back in 2001, when I went out to Seattle for the Hudson National meet. At that time it was housed in a collection of ramshakle barns and buildings. Even the house was full of stuff. It was enough to give one the willy's - all these beautiful cars, some rare, and there was no sprinkler systems, not even an alarm system. The buildings were really fire traps.

There was some talk at that time there was to be a new building, a musuem really, to be built to showcase the cars. It appears that was more than talks.

I remember someone saying that LeMay, who started out as a trash collector, by the way - wound up collecting trash all over that area - had a London double-decker bus. He'd have somebody drive the thing while he sat up top looking into peoples back yards for old cars.

Thanks for easing my mind. I have often thought of those rickety building and the wonderful collection - LeMay didn't just collect cars. There was a lot of other stuff here and there.

And thanks for the great photos.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Edited by Alex Burr - hester_nec
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Mobilene,

 

Well, you never know how soon you will be getting another digital camera. You may be only one more drop away! I hope not!!!

 

Optical Image stabilization has been around for many years, so it is a proven technology. In fact my very old video camera has it. This is the first digital camera I have had with it, and I am just beginning to really appreciate the value. I also use it to take shots for my Ebay sales. I can shoot in almost any light and get a crisp image.

 

Tracy,

 

I have nothing but good to say for the LeMay collection. It was great to see the evolution of auto design right before your eyes, with all those Chevrolets lined up. My parents had a 1938, 1941, & 1949 and I had a 1950, and 1952. They even had a 1942 in the line up, which was unique because it was produced as WWII started. They used plastic or bakelite for some trim. When I go back, I want to take a closer look.

 

For the fun of it, here is another shot. I think the car on the right is a Cord, but I didn’t even notice it when I was standing there. Like I said, it is like taking a drink from a fire hose.....there is so much to see.

 

Here is “one more for the road!”

 

ARCord.jpg

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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I visited the LeMay collection back in 2001, when I went out to Seattle for the Hudson National meet. At that time it was housed in a collection of ramshakle barns and buildings. Even the house was full of stuff. It was enough to give one the willy's - all these beautiful cars, some rare, and there was no sprinkler systems, not even an alarm system. The buildings were really fire traps.

There was some talk at that time there was to be a new building, a musuem really, to be built to showcase the cars. It appears that was more than talks.

I remember someone saying that LeMay, who started out as a trash collector, by the way - wound up collecting trash all over that area - had a London double-decker bus. He'd have somebody drive the thing while he sat up top looking into peoples back yards for old cars.

Thanks for easing my mind. I have often thought of those rickety building and the wonderful collection - LeMay didn't just collect cars. There was a lot of other stuff here and there.

And thanks for the great photos.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

 

Alex,

 

Thanks for the very interesting retrospective! The double decker is still there, but isn’t driven anymore because of insurance risks.

 

The collection has been reduced down to about 2000 cars now from the 3500 LeMay had...and BTW LeMay organization still collects the garbage in the area, but the man died a few years ago.

 

Since only 350 cars are on display, I can’t begin to guess where the other 2600 plus are, other than our tour guide said they are in warehouses and at Mrs. LeMay’s house (perhaps what you saw in 2001) The collection you see on tour now is housed in adequate buildings (an old religious school) but I won’t speculate on their fire and earthquake protection because I don’t know. I did ask about earthquake risk and was told the buildings had withstood earthquakes before.

 

The clear plan is to move many cars...for some reason 800 sticks in my mind...to a planned facility in Tacoma next year. We were told ground breaking had occurred or was about to occur...I forget which. I asked the guide if the new facility was certain, and he answered with the ground breaking comment.

 

There was nothing marginal or junky about any of the cars, We were even told that most of them, at least in the building where I asked the question, ran and had been started in the past several months. Our tour guide said that LeMay bought most the cars in restored condition.

 

Perhaps a real pro might find fault with some aspects of the collection, but for a guy who just likes cars, and who enjoys seeing them up close, I can’t imagine being anything other than like a kid in a candy store!

 

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The car on the right in the last photo is definitely a Cord. I enjoyed the few cars up on the shelf, including what appear to be a BMW Isetta and a Messerschmitt, and possible either a Sparrow or a Davis above the Cord.

 

I like restored cars, but not over restored. When they are so clean and polished and chromed that they look much better than from the factory. And I do enjoy cars that are modified they were when they were current, such as a racing stripe on a Corvair, or dash mounted tachometer on the steering wheel column of a Mustang.

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The car on the right in the last photo is definitely a Cord. I enjoyed the few cars up on the shelf, including what appear to be a BMW Isetta and a Messerschmitt, and possible either a Sparrow or a Davis above the Cord.

 

I like restored cars, but not over restored. When they are so clean and polished and chromed that they look much better than from the factory. And I do enjoy cars that are modified they were when they were current, such as a racing stripe on a Corvair, or dash mounted tachometer on the steering wheel column of a Mustang.

 

Dave,

 

The LeMay collection is made for you (and me)! And you properly identified those cars "on the shelf."

 

The cars were beautiful, but not vestal virgins, if you know what I mean. I looked at some undercarriages and noted maybe some chipping paint on a frame or two.

 

These are real beauties, but not every car was pristine. Once in a while I noticed some pitted chrome on a hood ornament, and some cracked leather in an interior. Just the way I would want to see one.... just the way they looked when they were extremely well cared for, and still being used. Clean, without damage, but not so perfect in all cases that you couldn’t even imagine them on the road.

 

There were virgins to be sure, but there were also many beautiful automobiles any collector would love to have and display..... and even drive on a sunny day.

 

I am going to do my next visit mid week when my tour group may be small. The collection is off the beaten path...in fact we passed it up and had to back track to locate it, even with a map. That won’t be the case when they get their new building, so I plan to take advantage of the opportunity now.

 

Thanks for the interest!

 

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Alex, I'm with you on not over-restoring. I'm a big believer that cars should be driven. I don't see the point in owning one otherwise! That's the thing I like about the Royce collection here in Indy -- the mechanic/curator drives every car from time to time, even the Stanley Steamer they have.

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Alex, I'm with you on not over-restoring. I'm a big believer that cars should be driven. I don't see the point in owning one otherwise! That's the thing I like about the Royce collection here in Indy -- the mechanic/curator drives every car from time to time, even the Stanley Steamer they have.

 

Mobilene,

 

With your interest in signs, I thought you might enjoy a couple of oil company globes displayed at the LeMay Museum. The second one really caught my attention! :D

 

ARSign1.jpg

ARSign2.jpg

The Rare Mobilene Gargoyle Globe :lol:

 

 

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