San Diego Automotive Museum
2010.12.22
We started the second day at the San Diego Automotive Museum, one of many museums in Balboa Park.
On the left, a 1913 Cadillac Model 30 five-passenger touring car. On the right, the engine compartment of a 1912 Pathfinder Model E cruiser, one of three known to still exist.
On the left, a 1925 Bentley “Red Label” Speed Model; one of these won the 1924 Le Mans. On the right, a 1932 Cadillac V-12.
Below, a 1931 Cadillac V-16 Roadster, the first production car with a 16-cylinder engine.
On the left, a 1932 Ford Model B Deluxe Coupe (3 window) hot rod and on the right a 1940 Ford Deluxe “Woodie” Stationwagon.
On the left, an Indian 101 Scout motorcycle from around 1930. On the right, a 1942 Indian Army Model 841. Indian and Harley Davidson each produced about 1,000 motorcycles for the war that year.
The 1948 Tucker “Torpedo” Sedan was powered by a rear-mounted modified helecopter engine. It had a directional third headlight that turned with the steering wheel. Besides the headlight, the car was notable for a number of safety features, including a perimeter frame, padded dash, and windshield that could pop out in a collision. On the right, a 1953 Jaguar XK120.
The front grille of a 1954 Plymouth Belvedere and the trunk of a modified and detailed 1956 Ford Victoria called “Victoria’s Secret”.
This 1965 Bizzarrini P538 is one of only a few ever made, possibly only three with this “spider” body style, and powered by a Lamborghini V-12 engine. On the right, a 1963 Vespa 150 with an entire constellation of rearview mirrors. It was painted and decorated in the 1990’s for MTV in Chicago.
Below, a 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo lowrider called “Orgullo Mexicano”.
The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 probably would have been forgotten if not for the Back to the Future movies. Only about 9000 were made in the Northern Ireland plant before the company went bankrupt. The body is fiberglass covered in brushed stainless steel panels.
Louis Matter's $75,000 Cadillac
Louis Mattar bought this 1947 Cadillac Model 62 and spent five years and $75,000 turning it into his dream car. In 1952 he and two other men drove the car from San Diego to New York and back without ever stopping, setting a cross-country endurance record. Two years later they made an even longer non-stop trip between Anchorage, Alaska and Mexico City. Both records remain unbeaten.
Hydraulic jacks could raise a tire off the ground so it could be changed by one of the men standing on a movable platform. The tires could be inflated while rolling. The radiator could be refilled and the oil changed automatically. There is a camp shower at the right running board and a drinking fountain at one of the rear taillights.
The car holds 50 gallons of water and the standard gas tank. The trailer holds an additional 30 gallons of water, 230 gallons of gasoline and 15 gallons of oil. The back of the trailer is a dining area.
Inside features included an electric stove, refrigerator, washing machine, chemical toilet, ironing board, medicine cabinet, kitchen sink, nationwide mobile telephone, tape recorder, hookah, and mini bar.
Music Museum