THERE IS A PLACE THAT IS PART AUTO SHOW ROOM, PART MUSEUM, AND VERY
INTERESTING TO CAR ENTHUSIASTS
OF ALL AGES AS WE DISCOVERED AT
THE VOLO AUTO MUSEUM.
>>WE HAVE SOME OF THE RAREST IN
THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST BUICK
SKYLARKS THAT WERE BUILT.
THEY BUILT THEM TWO YEARS IN
1953 AND '54, THE CONVERSEABLE.
THEY BUILT 1600 OF THESE CARS.
AS WE GO A LITTLE FURTHER, YOU
WILL SEE THE 1954 WHICH WAS THE
ONLY ONE OF 804 THAT WERE BUILT.
THESE CARS ARE JUST A SMALL PART
OF A VAST AND EVER CHANGING
COLLECTION.
IT IS A BUSINESS THAT GAN AS A
HOBBY WHEN THE GRAND'S BROTHERS
STARTED BUYING OLD INEXPENSIVE
CARS TO REPAIR.
THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST OF
ITS KIND IN THE ENTIRE NORTH
AMERICA.
THERE IS NO PLACE YOU CAN GO
THAT I KNOW OF ON THIS PLANET
AND GO ALL UNDER ROOF AND FIND
ALL THESE CARS FOR SALE IN AIR
CONDITIONED AND HEATED
BUILDINGS.
THE MUSEUM CONSISTS OF FIVE SHOW
ROOMS FILLED WITH COLLECTOR
CARS.
WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE 50'S'S FOOD
R COURT, A BANQUET HALL, AND WE
HAVE FOUR LARGE ANTIQUE MALLS
WHERE PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER
THE U.S. TO SHOP.
SO THE ENTIRE COMPLEX IS LOCATED
ON ABOUT 40 GROOMED ACRES.
>>THE COLLECTION RANGES FROM THE
PREWORLD WAR II CARS TO THE
MUSCLE CARS WHICH SEEMED TO BE
ATTRACTING MOST ATTENTION THESE
DAYS.
ON DISPLAY ARE ANYWHERE FROM 250
TO 300 CARS WITHIN AVERAGE OF 75
NEW CARS BEING ADDED EACH MONTH
AND ALL ARE FOR SALE, ALL EXCEPT
THE CELEBRITY AND HOLLYWOOD
CARS, INCLUDING ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE CARS IN TELEVISION
HISTORY.
>>THAT WAS ONE OF THE NINE THAT
WERESED -- WE GET A LOT OF
FATHERS THAT LOVE TO BRING THEIR
KIDS IN TO SHOW THEM WHAT THE
BAT MOBILE USED TO LOOK LIKE
FROM THE TV SERIES WITH ADAM
WEST.
>>IT WAS DESIGNED BY FAMED
HOLLYWOOD CAR MAKER GEORGE
BERRAS, WHO TOOK 19 25 5 LINCOLN
FUTURA CONCEPT CAR AND MODIFIED
IT INTO THE BAT MOBILE.
THEN, THERE IS PROBABLY THE MOST
FAMOUS DODGE CHARGER IN THE
WORLD.
OVER 200 OF THESE CARS WERE DESTROYED PERFORMING THE STUNTS USED IN THE CHASE SCENE.
DURING JUMPS TO OFFSET THE
ENGINE'S WEIGHT IN THE FRONT, A
THOUSAND POUNDS WAS ADDED HAD IN
THE TRUNK.
THIS ALLOWED THE CAR TO LAND ON
REAR WHEELS, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, IT BENT THE FRAMES.
THEN THERE IS AN ADAPTATION
WHICH WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE
DRIVEN ON THE STREETS.
IT IS THE BOOT HILL EXPRESS
DESIGNED BY FAMEED CAR BUILDER
RAY FARNER, SO UNUSUAL IT IS THE
ONLY CUSTOM CAR TO BE FEATURED
AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART.
>>HE WANTED SOMETHING EXOTIC.
HE WAS GOING TO BUILD A
STAGECOACH. AND HE DIDN'T THINK
THAT WAS ENOUGH. HE WENT ON A
HUNT FOR A HEARST, A HORSE DRAWN
HEARST, HE FOUND IT IN THE BIG
DALO ESTATE.
EVERYTHING ON THE CAR STILL HAS
THE ORIGINAL BEVELED GLASS,
ORIGINAL TASSELS, ORIGINAL CARVE
ED URNS.
HOWEVER, WE PUT 500-HORSEPOWER
HELP I IN THE CAR.
STILL USING THE SAME SUSPENSION
THEY HAD WHEN THEY USED TO PULL
THE COFFINS IN IT.
IT WAS LAST USED IN ITS ORIGINAL
CONFIGURATION AS HORSE DRAWN
HEARST IN 1889 WHEN IT CARRIED
THE BODY OF BOB YOUNGER, ONE OF
THE INFAMOUS MEMBERS OF THE
JESSE JAMES GANG TO HIS FINAL
RESTING PLACE.
TODAY THE AUTO MUSEUM IS ATTRACTING ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
SOME FOLKS COME TO BROWSE THE
ANTIQUES, SOME TO SEE THE
CELEBRITY CARS, AND OTHERS TO
FIND THAT SPECIAL DREAM CAR.
>> IT IS A PLACE A PERSON CAN
COME TO AND LOOK AT ALL THE
CARS, SEES PRICES, DESCRIPTION,
EVEN IF THEY JUST WANT TO LEARN
ABOUT THE INDUSTRY, LEARN WHAT
IS AVAILABLE FOR WHAT KIND OF
MONEY, WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE WEB
SITE WITH PROBABLY ONE OF THE
BEST NAVIGATIONS AVAILABLE.
ON OUR WEB SITE, EVERY CAR THAT
COMES IN IS ON OUR SITE.
NOW R, OUR SITE IS LIKE OUR
MUSEUM, IT IS NOT STAGNANT.
THE SITE CHANGES FIVE DAYS A
WEEK.
BUT SOME OF THESE CARS, TO ME, ARE LIKE WORKS OF ART. I COME IN HERE AT NIGHT AND WHEN
WE ARE CLOSED AND NO ONE AROUND,
I JUST ENJOY THE BOUGHT I AND
CRAFTSMANSHIP AND BODY STYLES ON
SOME OF THESE CARS THAT ARE ONE
OF A KIND.
NOT ONLY IS A VOLO AUTO MUSEUM MADE UP OF SEVERAL EVER CHANGING SHOW ROOMS R, BUT THERE IS ALSO
ANTIQUE MALL FOR VISITORS TO
PERUSE.
TO REACH THE VOLO AUTO MUSEUM CALL (815)385-3644 OR LOG ON TO THEIR WEB SITE AT
WWW.VOLOCARS.COM.