A Night at the Museum
Hi Friends!
I think it’s no secret to anyone at this point that a generational shift is occurring in the classic and collector automotive world. I think overwhelmingly, there’s a lot of things to be excited about and there’s a lot of positive things that are certain to occur as a result. One thing that’s genuinely concerning me during this process however, is the amount of press releases that I’m receiving announcing things like museum liquidations. There’s been a couple of pretty high-profile examples of this recently too. Now, I’m not here to criticize anyone’s decisions regarding what they want to do with what they’ve built and there’s no doubt that running and maintaining a museum level collection is not only eye-wateringly expensive, but it’s also serious work (We definitely know. We work with lots of them), but museums offer a glimpse into a lot of things very quickly and they can be a real source of inspiration, not to mention all of the preservation and historical references that are so critically important to this hobby and this industry’s ability to move forward.
Point is, museums matter a lot.
Last week, I made a stop at one of my favorite automotive museums in the world. Located just outside of Boulder, Colorado, the Shelby American Collection is home to what is undoubtedly the most significant collection of mid-century American sports and racing machines and memorabilia anywhere on the planet. Since 2018 Motorwerks has been working with the collection and together we have raised millions of dollars to help continue their mission to preserve these incredible, important pieces of priceless history.
This trip however, was extra special as it marked my first visit to their new building and all the new exhibits contained therein, including a library, significant wheel and tire collection, enormous collection of plastic and diecast models (still unbuilt and still in original boxes – imagine the self-control involved there), conference area, event center and most importantly, by far the largest collection of Ford GT and GT40 street and competition cars ever assembled. The building and everything inside is truly breathtaking and most definitely continues (and quite likely exceeds) the standards that the collection has already established.
If you’ve a car person of any kind, it’s truly something that you need to experience for yourself. I’ve been to the collection probably 20 times at this point at least and each time is still completely awe inspiring.
It’s also worth noting, that this amazing place is paid for not only by donations from fantastic people around the world (in fact, an awesome gentleman was visiting all the way from Germany just to donate memorabilia when I arrived – including a couple of items that I’ve never seen before), but also by supporting and contributing to the Shelby American Collection’s annual Win a Shelby Sweepstakes. Just know, you’re not throwing money down a hole when you participate in these. What you’re doing is your helping to keep what is likely the most important time in American Motorsports history alive and accessible to generations moving forward and that’s something that’s definitely important. If you haven’t contributed in the past, I highly encourage you to do so.
The Shelby American Collection’s fantastic new building is a direct result of what these contests contribute. This is a real time, real deal example of where your money goes when you participate in these things and it was a very powerful thing to see.
Anyway, this visit has inspired us to add a new component to the newsletter. Starting this week, we will be adding a “Featured Non-Profit” section to the Z260 to specifically promote these nonprofits and the contests that they are running. Again, they are a significant funding apparatus, which allows them to continue the work that they’re doing. Above and beyond this, if you’re able to visit and support these places in person, definitely do it. If it’s just as simple a matter of continuing to share their existence within your network, raising awareness, that helps too. We’re big believers in what these organizations are about, we think that these are a major component of pushing car culture into the future and we hope that you’ll join us in getting involved and trying to help as well.
That’s it for this week…
Darin Roberge