Museums Of The Automobile

This is the place to be for everyone who thinks old cars are FUN. Let us suppose that we go to the museums of the automobile to discuss the early history of the automobile. We can go to the various museums for our information. However, if we want to find out what was the first self propelled vehicle (automobile), we soon run into controversy. What constitutes the first automobile? When we go back in history we find that there was a spring driven auto and a compressed air auto early on in Europe. In fact vehicles propelled by wind were made before them. The actual first steam engine vehicle was developed by a french inventor whose name was Nicolas Cugnot. For the purposes of our tour of museums of the automobile, let us limit our discussion of the first vehicle, to those that were powered by an internal combustion engine. Now that we have set our course, we will further limit our choice to the first vehicle actually successfully manufactured. When all is said and done, our selection of the first automobile would have to be the Benz in Germany. Carl Benz began production in 1890. It is about this time that the bicycle came into popularity. The motorcycle was not far behind. Throughout the early years of the Twentieth Century steam and electric autos were still being manufactured. Indeed, the development, history, and social implications of the automobile could and does fill many books. We hope our choices of fine auto museums will deepen your interest in this subject.

Among museums of the automobile, the Petersen Museum holds a special place. It is much more than a mere collection of automobilia. It is a depiction of the history of the people of California U.S.A. and the city of Los Angeles in regards to their interaction with the history of automobiles. To this end there are diaoramas of life like situations involving people and automobiles. For instance, one display has a group of autos lined up in front of a drive in restruantaurant of the era of the 1950s and 60s. This is also a teaching museum as it welcomes students from area schools to participate in learning situations about automotive history. The Petersen museum holds a special place in the roster of museums of the automobile. Come with us to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum.

There are few automobile museums in the world that are the equal of this fine example. The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is managed by the National Motor Museum Trust. There are collections of motorbikes, cars, commercial vehicles, and automobile memorabilia. The collection is comprised of some 250 vehicles, from the earliest examples to classic legends. The museum is host to many gatherings throughout the year. When you are in England, plan to visit the National Motor Museum

The Toyota Auto Museum is located in Nagoya Japan. It is on of the finest museums of the automobile in the world. The museum was opened in 1989 with about 120 automobiles from Japan, Europe, and The United States. The annex, opened in April of 1999, commemorates the 10th anniversary of the founding of the museum. This building exhibits the history of the motorization of japan, and elaborates on the influence of the automobile on Japanese culture. There are meeting rooms, a reference library, museum shop, museum restruarant, and a childrens room where the young can get a hands on experience of the museum. Enjoy your visit to the Toyota Auto Museum

footer for museums of the automobile page