THEY HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE PUBLIC EYE. SOME ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THEIR
OWNERS.
SOME ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE
STARS.
AND SOME ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY
WERE PART OF HISTORICAL EVENTS.
HI.
I AM JIM WILHELM.
WHAT STARTED AS A SINGLE CAR IN
A SHOW ROOM HAS GROWN INTO THE
HAD HISTORIC AUTO ATTRACTIONS IN
ROSCOE WHICH IS JUST NORTH OF
ROCKFORD.
DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL THEMES, THE
COLLECTION IS MORE THAN JUS
VINTAGE CARS AS EACH IS UNIQUE.
IN THE WORLD LEADERS SECTION IS
THE 1965 LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL
LIMOUSINE USED BY LYNDON JOHNSON
WHILE HE WAS IN OFFICE.
INSIDE, THERE ARE SUCH AMENITIES
AS A WRITING CONSOLE, TV, TWO
BARS, TWO STEREOS AND TWO AIR
CONDITIONERS.
THIS CAR IS 22 FEET LONG, AND,
OF COURSE, IT IS ARMORED.
EACH PRESIDENT IS ALLOWED TO
CUSTOMIZE THE LIMO DEPENDING ON
HIS WORK HABITS OR HIS
PARTICULAR TASTE.
SURPRISING THING ABOUT THIS CAR
IS THE UPHOLSTERY.
JOHNSON LIKED BLUE PLAID, THAT
ALONG WITH THE BLUE SHAG
CARPETING PROBABLY MAKES THIS
THE MOST UNUSUAL INTERIOR OF ANY
PRESIDENTIAL LIMO.
YET, THIS COLLECTION IS MORE
THAN CARS USED BY HIS HEADS OF
STATE, IT IS ALSO THE UNUSUAL.
IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE THE
NATION'S BUY CENTENNIAL, A TEXAS
MAN TOOK THIS 1976 CADILLAC AND
COVERED IT WITH 120,000 COINS.
IT TOOK FOUR PEOPLE TWO YEARS TO
COMPLETE.
PENNIES ADORN MOST OF THE BOYD I
WHILE THE ROOF IS COVERED WITH
INDUED HEAD NICKELS AND KENNEDY
HALF DOLLARS.
IN IS SIDE THE DASHBOARD IS
COVERED WITH DIMES.
STEERING WHEEL IS SOLID SILVER
WITH IN LAID TURQUOISE AND
MOTHER OF PEARL.
THE COINS THEMSELVES ADDED ONE
TON TO THE CAR'S WEIGHT AND
INCREASED THE VALUE OF THE
CADILLAC TO THE POINT WHERE AT
ONE TIME, THE GUINNESS BOOK OF
RECORDS LISTED IT AS THE WORLD'S
COSTLIEST AUTO.
MOST OF THE COINS ARE VINTAGE
20TH CENTURY, BUT THERE ARE A
FEW RARITIES.
ON THE BACK IS THIS ROMAN COIN
OVER 1600 YEARS OLD, AND A U.S.
TRADE DOLLAR.
AND WHILE THE COLLECTION HAS THE
UNUSUAL, IT ALSO HAS CARS WITH A
KNOW TORE RUSS PAST.
-- NOTORIOUS PAST.
IN THE SECOND WORD WAR SECTION
IS MERCEDES G4 SIX WHEEL
CROSS-COUNTRY VEHICLE.
DEVELOPED IN 1933 FOR THE
MILITARY, IT WAS DEEMED TOO
HEAVY AND COSTLY.
IN THE END, ONLY 57 OF THESE
WERE EVER MADE. TODAY, ONLY
THREE ARE KNOWN TO HAVE
SURVIVED.
THE G4 MIGHT HAVE PASSED INTO
OBSCURITY EXCEPT IT BECAME THE
FAVORITE TRANSPORT OF HIGH
RANKING NUTS YOU I OFFICIALS,
INCLUDING ADOLF HITLER.
HE WOULD RIDE IN ONE OF THESE
WHEN HE FIRST ENTERED INTO NEWLY
CONQUERED TERRITORIES.
CAPABLE OF HANDLING ROUGH
TERRAIN WITH A SMOOTH RIDE THIS,
VEHICLE'S SIZE COULD CREATE A
SENSE OF POWER.
LEATHER SEATS HAD ARMRESTS, AND
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT COULD
BE FLIPPED UP SO DIGNITARIES
COULD STAND UP AND ADDRESS A
CROWD OR TROOPS.
NOT ALL THE CARS ON DISPLAY WERE USED BY HEADS OF STATE. HERE IN THE GANGSTER ROOM, FOR
EXAMPLE, IS THIS CAR WHICH WAS
KNOWN NOT SO MUCH BY WHO OWNED
IT, BUT BY THE MAN WHO
"BORROWED" IT.
THIS 1932 STUDEBAKER WAS STOLEN
AND USED AS A GET AWAY CAR BY
FAMED GANGSTER JOHN DILLINGER.
IT HAPPENED IN GREENCASTLE
INDIANA A AT WHAT WAS THEN THE
LARGEST BANK HEIST HISTORY
NETTING OVER $75,000.
STUDEBAKERS HAD LARGER AND MORE
POWERFUL ENGINES THAN MOST OTHER
CARS AT THAT TIME.
THIS WAS ONION MARKED POLICE CAR
WHICH DILLINGER STOLE FROM THE
POLICE STATION WHEN HE WENT
THERE ON A RAID TO STEAL WEAPONS
BUT THIS COLLECTION IS MORE THAN
JUST CARS.
EACH SECTION INCLUDES ARE IT TY
FACTS EITHER FROM THE ERA OR
FROM THE OWN OTHERS THEMSELVES.
FOR EXAMPLE, BEHIND ME ARE SOME
ITEMS LEFT BY JOHN DILLINGER AT
THE LITTLE LOW HOMIAN LODGE WHEN
HE WAS SURPRISED BY THE F.B.I.
HERE IS A BULLET PROOF VEST HE
WONS WORE THAT WEIGHS 22 POUNDS
ALSO FOUND AT THE INN WAS THIS
1911 COLT .45 NEARBY IS ONE OF
THE SEVERAL DEATH MASKS MADE OF
THE INFAMOUS GANGSTER ALONG WITH
THE GUN SAID TO HAVE FIRED THE
FATAL SHOT.
A JUST ACROSS FROM THE DILLINGER
DISPLAY IS THIS CAR MOST MOVIE
ENTHUSIASTS WILL RECOGNIZE FROM
THE FILM "BONNIE AND CLYDE."
THE BULLET HOLES WERE CREATED BY
FIRING LIVE ROUNDS INTO IT FROM
THOMPSON MACHINE GUN.
CAR IS FROM A 1967 MOVIE, NEXT
TO ARE THE HATS WORN BY THE REAL
BONNIE AND CLYDE THE DAY THEY
WERE KILLED HAD IN 1934.
ON CLYDE'S FEDORA CAN STILL BE
SEEN A BULLET HOLE AND A
BLOODSTAIN.
LARGEST NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS
PERTAIN TO GO A SPECIFIC VEHICLE
SURROUNDS THIS 1956 CADILLAC
LIMOUSINE.
IT LONGED TO THE SECRET SERVICE,
AND IT WAS PRESENT AT A
HISTORICAL EVENT THAT ROCKED THE
20TH CENTURY.
THIS VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND
THE ARE PRESIDENTIAL LIMO ON
NOVEMBER 22, 1963, THE DAY JOHN
F. KENNEDY WAS A TAS NATED.
IT IS THE NUCLEUS OF A SECTION
THAT HAS GROWN INTO AN
IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF KENNEDY
MEMORABILIA.
BEHIND ME ARE CASES FILLED WITH
ITEMS USED BY JOHN AND JACKIE
KENNEDY.
FURTHER BACK, ARE TWO ROOMS
FILLED WITH ARTIFACTS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE ASSASSINATION OF IT IS
HARD TO BELIEVE THIS CONNECTION,
ALONG WITH ALL THE CARS ON
DISPLAY, BEGAN WITH A SINGLE
VEHICLE.
IT ALL STARTED RIGHT HERE WITH THIS CADILLAC WHICH USED TO BE THE PERSONAL CADILLAC OF HOWARD
HUGHES.
HAD THE CAR ON DISPLAY
PERSONALLY AND SHOWED A LOT OF
MY FRIENDS AND THEY ENJOYED
LOOKING AT IT.
THAT KIND OF MADE ME FEEL KIND
OF GOOD SEEING PEOPLE ENJOY THIS
STUFF.
NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS STARTING
TO SEARCH FOR OTHER CARS, AND
THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN LAS
VEGAS, NEVADA, THEY HAD A LARGE
COLLECTION.
GUY THAT OWNED IT BECAME
TERMINAL HADLY ILL AND THAT WAS
THE REASON HE WAS SELLING THEM.
WE GOT 20 OR 22 CARS FROM HIM.
ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY LIKE
WHEN I LOOK FOR CAR IN MUHAMMAD
SEEM, I WANT SOMETHING THAT IS
RARE, THE UNUSUAL LIKE THE MONEY
CAR.
I LOVE THEM WHERE THEY HAVE SOME
HISTORY INVOLVED OR UNIQUENESS.
ONE OF OUR LATEST THINGS WE JUST
PURCHASED WAS A JOSEPH STALIN'S
1937, A PACKARD.
IT HAS WINDOWS IN IT THAT ARE
THREE INCHES THICK.
IT HAS FULL ARMOR PLATING IN IT.
THE THING STARTED WEIGHING
6,000 POUNDS AND NOW WEIGHS
15,000 POUNDS WHEN THEY GOT DONE
WITH IT.
THE JOHNNY CASH CAR, AND THAT'S
KIND OF UNIQUE BECAUSE IT THERE
WAS THIS COAL MINER OUT IN
OKLAHOMA, HE WAS JUST LOVED
JOHNNY CASH.
JOHNNY CASH IN 1967, HE MADE THE
SONG "ONE PIECE AT A TIME."
THIS GENTLEMAN MADE THIS CAR
WITH EVERY PIECE THAT IS
DIFFERENT, TWO DOORS ON ONE
SIDE, ONE ON THE OTHER, BIG FIN
ON ONE REAR, ONE HEADLIGHT ON
ONE SIDE, TWO HEADLIGHTS ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT PIECES.
HE BROUGHT IT TO HENDERSONVILLE,
TENNESSEE, AND PRESENTED IT TO
JOHNNY YOU HIMSELF, AND JOHNNY
LOVED IT SO MUCH, THAT HE PUT IT
IN HIS OWN MUSEUM WHICH HE HAD
FOR AWHILE.
IT GOES BACK TO GRANT.
WE HAVE ONE OF HIS 1865
CARRIAGES THAT HE USED JUST AS
HE WAS BECOMING THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THAT, HE
WAS THE ONLY PRESIDENT AND THE
FIRST TO GET A SPEEDING TICKET,
AND HE DID IT IN THAT CARRIAGE!
WE STARTED OUT AS CARS.
I WORK WITH VISBELOIT.
WE USED TO CALL IT HISTORIC AUTO
MUSEUM.
THEY SAID MAYBE I OUGHT TO
CHANGE IT TO ATTRACTION.
WE DID AFTER THE FIRST YEAR
BECAUSE THEY GOT ME INTO THE
THOUGHT ABOUT MAYBE I NEED MORE
THAN JUST CARS BECAUSE I WANT TO
ENTERTAIN THEM.
SO LADIES, GUYS, THE KIDS, SO
THEN I GOT INTO THE MOVIE
MEMORABILIA BECAUSE A LOT OF
AUCTION HOUSES AFTER THEY FOUND
YOU OUT I WAS A MUSEUM STARTED
SENDING ME ALL CATALOGS.
I SEARCH IN THERE AND FOUND
"GONE WITH THE WIND."
WE GOT THE COLLECTION OF HARRY
HOUDINI WITH STUFF THAT WILL GO
ON DISPLAY.
WE BOUGHT A LOT OF ELVIS PRESLEY
STUFF.
THE JFK FITS A LOT OF BABY
BOOMERS AND I AM A BABY BOOMERS
AND I ALWAYS REMEMBERED THAT DAY
WHEN HE WAS ASSASSINATED.
WHEN I GOT THAT ONE COLLECTION
FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE, ONE
WAS ALSO THE '56 FOLLOW UP
CADILLAC.
WHEN I GOT THAT PART, I STARTED
SEARCHING OTHER PARTS TO GO WITH
IT.
THERE WAS A MAN BY THE NAME OF
ROBERT WHITE THAT HAD A LARGE
MUSEUM IN FLORIDA.
HE LOVED KEN DIRK A AND HE
PASSED ON, AND THEY HAD THIS
AUCTION ON IT, AND I BOUGHT A
LARGE COLLECTION OF STUFF. WE
HAVE SEVERAL GOWNS OF JACKIE'S
AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS OF THEIR
LIFE.
WE HAVE A SECTION OF FENCE FROM
THE GRASSY KNOLL.
WE DO A SURVEY AFTER PEOPLE
LEAVE THE MUSEUM TO SEE WHAT
THEY ENJOYED.
ONE OF THE LARGEST THINGS WE ARE
FINDING IS THE PEOPLE ARE LOVING
THE KENNEDY ERA.
I LOVE SHARING THIS WITH THE PUBLIC. IT GIVES ME AWFUL GOOD FEELINGS
IN MY HEART BECAUSE I GOT A LOT
OF TIME AND EVERYTHING I CAN DO
IN MY RER SOURCES TO PUT THIS
TOGETHER.
IT IS FOR EVERYBODY TO SHARE.
I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE, AND
THEY HAD HAD A GOOD TIME AND
ENJOYED WHAT THEY DID.
IT JUST FEELS SO GOOD.
IN THIS ROOM ARE ARTIFACTS
RELATED TO THE KENNEDY
ASSASSINATION.
THIS IS THE AMBULANCE IN WHICH
LEE HARVEY OSWALD WAS
TRANSPORTED TO PARKLAND HOSPITAL
IN DALLAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE
WAS SHOT BY JACK RUBY.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS A UNIFORM
WORN BY OFFICER NICK McDONALD
THE DAY HE ARRESTED OSWALD.
HERE IS THE KLEIN'S SPORTING
GOODS CATALOG FROM WHICH THE GUN
WAS ORDERED THAT KILLED KENNEDY.
NOTICE THE NAME "HIDDEL" ON THE
ADDRESS, THAT WAS ONE OF
OSWALD'S ALIASES.
IN ADDITION TO THE KENNEDY
ITEMS, HISTORIC AUTO ATTRACTIONS
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADD A
COLLECTION OF FURNISHINGS AND
ARTICLES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
WHILE MOSTLY 20TH CENTURY
PRESIDENT RON ZOOK REPRESENTED,
THE COLLECTION DOES GOA GO BACK
TO LINCOLN'S TIME.
THIS CHAIR WAS PRESENTED TO
LINCOLN IN 1862 AND WAS USED IN
HIS PERSONAL STUDY.
FROM PRESIDENT POLK'S TIME IS
THE FIRST MECHANICAL SEWING
MACHINE TO BE USED IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
FOR A TIME, IT WAS ON DISPLAY AT
THE SMITHSONIAN.
THIS CLOCK WAS GIVEN TO
PRESIDENT EISENHOWER IN HONOR OF
"OPERATION MARKET GARDEN" THAT
WAS A LARGE AIRBORNE ASSAULT
BEHIND GERMAN LINES MEANT TO
SECURE THE BRIDGES IN FRONT OF
THE ALLIS ADVANCE.
THE MANEUVER WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL
THE STORY OF THAT OPERATION WAS
LATER RETOLD IN THE MOVIE "A
BRIDGE IT TOO FAR."
THE CLOCK EVENTUALLY WAS HUNG IN
THE WHITE HOUSE WHERE PRESIDENT
EISENHOWER LEFT STANDING ORDERS
THAT IT NOT BE WOUND OR USED
BECAUSE IT REMINDED HIM OF THE
FAILURE.
GIVEN WAYNE'S BACKGROUND THERE
HAD TO BE A RACING SEGMENT.
PROBABLY THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE
CAR IN THE COLLECTION IS THE '4
CAR, OLDEST REMAINING CAR DRIVEN
BY RICHARD PETTY IN WHICH HE WON
HIS SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH
RACE.
CAR ITSELF HAS BEEN RESTORED TO
ITS ORIGINAL LOOK AND COLORS.
INSIDE THE CAR IS A LIGHT IN THE
BACK BY A TRAP DOOR.
BY PULLING A WIRE NEAR HIS FEET,
PETTY COULD OPEN THAT DOOR AND
CHECK THE CONDITION OF HIS TIRES
WHILE RACING.
AT FIRST THE PETTY'S PAINTED
THEIR CARS ALL WHITE, BUT IN
1959 AFTER A REBUILT, IT WAS
DISCOVERED THERE WASN'T NOT
ENOUGH WHITE PAINT LEFT FOR THE
ENTIRE JOB.
RICHARD FOUND BLUE AND MIXED IT
IN.
HIS DAD, LEE, THOUGHT THE NEW
COLOR WAS TERRIFIC AND THOUGHT
IT SET THE CAR APART FROM THE
PACK.
TODAY, PETTY BLUE IS A PATENTED
PAINT COLOR.
BEHIND ME IS 1950 MERCURY PICKUP TRUCK MADE FAMOUS IN THE TV SERIES "SANFORD AND SON."
ACTUALLY THERE WERE THREE TRUCKS
USED DURING THE SERIES, BUT THIS
IS THE BEST KNOWN AS IT STARTED
IN THE OPENING SEE QUESTIONS.
IT WAS BOUGHT BY THE RED FOX
ESTATE AND THE TITLE IS IN HIS
NAME.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS PART OF OF A
SET FROM SANFORD AND SON ALONG
WITH A COUPLE OF THE ORIGINAL
COSTUMES.
THIS IS THE PATROL CAR FROM THE
"ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW."
EVERY YEAR THE SERIES WOULD GET
A NEW CAR.
THIS IS FROM 1964.
FROM THE WARNER BROTHERS
"BATMAN" MOVIE IS THE ROCKET.
THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE MADE FOR
THE FILM AND APPEARED ON SCREEN
FOR A TOTAL OF 30 SECONDS.
NEXT TO IS IS THE BAT MOBILE
ALSO FROM THE HAD MOVIE.
12 OF THESE CARS WERE MADE FOR
THE FILM, EACH ONE TO FILL A
SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
THIS ONE IS THE BEAUTY OF THE
GROUP.
IT WAS DESIGNED STRICTLY FOR
PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES AND STILL
SHOTS.
IT NEVER HAD A STARRING ROLE IN
THE MOTION PICTURE LIKE ITS
COUSINS, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE
STARS OF THIS FACILITY.
AS WE HAVE SEEN THIS, PLACE IS
MORE THAN A STOREHOUSE OF FAMOUS
AND NOTABLE VEHICLES.
IT IS ALSO RELATED ARTIFACTS,
MEMORABILIA AND HISTORY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
HISTORIC AUTO ATTRACTIONS, CALL
815-389-7917 OR TAKE ON LINE TOUR
AT WWWW HISTORICAUTO
ATTRACTIONS.COM.