The brilliant and wildly eccentric Lane Motor Museum...
Discussion
RDMcG said:
If you were an East German citizen and in no trouble with the Stasi, you might have been able to buy a Wartburg camping limousine...( as it was called).....
Edited for you If you were an East German citizen and you were inHow about a 1969 Fascination?....
From the website:
Paul M. Lewis started an airplane company in Denver, CO in the 1930s, to construct VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft. Shortly after, Lewis designed an economical car for the masses he planned on selling for $300. It took the form of a three-wheeled aerodynamic automobile called the “Airomobile”.
The first rendering of that body was penned by John Tjaarda, a Dutch automotive stylist and engineer who worked on projects such as the first Chrysler Airflow and the first Lincoln Zephyr. Tjaarda was intrigued with the research of Hungarian, Paul Jaray, the early aeronautical genius behind the aerodynamic teardrop shape of German Zeppelins, Audi, Benz, and Adler prototypes, as well as the Tatra T-77 and T-87.
In 1937, two former Franklin Automobile Co. engineers, Carl Doman and Ed Marks brought Lewis’s Airomobile to fruition. The vehicle was powered by a newly-engineered, air-cooled OHV flat-four with 57 hp, which drove the front wheels through Spicer constant velocity joints derived from Citroën components. The single rear wheel didn’t even have a brake. Lewis drove it all over the US proving its 43.6 mpg frugality. Despite restyling and reengineering, Lewis couldn’t raise sufficient financial backing for production. The only Airomobile prototype is in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.
In the late 60s, Lewis established the Highway Aircraft Corporation at the former U.S. Army Depot near Sidney, Nebraska, and produced a rear propeller-driven prototype car. But an accident during its demonstration forced Lewis to abandon his idea and both the engine and propeller were removed. Instead, a Volkswagen, air-cooled Type 3 engine was installed in the tail end. To gain interest from the public it was put on display at several dealerships, including the Stapleton Airport in Denver. Though this prototype proved to be ultimately unsuccessful, the design inspired his next “Fascination” series of automobiles. It is not known why exactly Lewis was removed from the project by stockholders shortly after production started, but remarkably, the four additional Fascination cars still exist in private collections. The Fascination you see on display here is the Fascination #1 prototype.
From the website:
Paul M. Lewis started an airplane company in Denver, CO in the 1930s, to construct VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft. Shortly after, Lewis designed an economical car for the masses he planned on selling for $300. It took the form of a three-wheeled aerodynamic automobile called the “Airomobile”.
The first rendering of that body was penned by John Tjaarda, a Dutch automotive stylist and engineer who worked on projects such as the first Chrysler Airflow and the first Lincoln Zephyr. Tjaarda was intrigued with the research of Hungarian, Paul Jaray, the early aeronautical genius behind the aerodynamic teardrop shape of German Zeppelins, Audi, Benz, and Adler prototypes, as well as the Tatra T-77 and T-87.
In 1937, two former Franklin Automobile Co. engineers, Carl Doman and Ed Marks brought Lewis’s Airomobile to fruition. The vehicle was powered by a newly-engineered, air-cooled OHV flat-four with 57 hp, which drove the front wheels through Spicer constant velocity joints derived from Citroën components. The single rear wheel didn’t even have a brake. Lewis drove it all over the US proving its 43.6 mpg frugality. Despite restyling and reengineering, Lewis couldn’t raise sufficient financial backing for production. The only Airomobile prototype is in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.
In the late 60s, Lewis established the Highway Aircraft Corporation at the former U.S. Army Depot near Sidney, Nebraska, and produced a rear propeller-driven prototype car. But an accident during its demonstration forced Lewis to abandon his idea and both the engine and propeller were removed. Instead, a Volkswagen, air-cooled Type 3 engine was installed in the tail end. To gain interest from the public it was put on display at several dealerships, including the Stapleton Airport in Denver. Though this prototype proved to be ultimately unsuccessful, the design inspired his next “Fascination” series of automobiles. It is not known why exactly Lewis was removed from the project by stockholders shortly after production started, but remarkably, the four additional Fascination cars still exist in private collections. The Fascination you see on display here is the Fascination #1 prototype.
A 1933 Framo Piccolo:
from the website:
Jørgen Rasmussen, a founder of DKW and integral player in the formation of Auto Union, founded Framo in 1923 in Saxony, Germany to supply parts to DKW. In 1927, Framo introduced their TV300 delivery trike and began specializing in commercial vehicles, gaining prominence for its innovative designs and robust engineering. Throughout its history, Framo produced a range of trucks, vans, and compact cars, leaving a lasting legacy in the automotive industry before merging with Barkas, an East German van manufacturer, in 1961.
The Piccolo was introduced by Framo in 1934 as an attempt for the company to create a “people’s car” for Germany. Ultimately, that title would go to the now famous Volkswagen created by Ferdinand Porsche. Recently acquired by the museum, this car is believed to be one of the prototypes for the Framo Piccolo and represents not just a vehicle, but a testament to resilience and innovation in challenging times.
from the website:
Jørgen Rasmussen, a founder of DKW and integral player in the formation of Auto Union, founded Framo in 1923 in Saxony, Germany to supply parts to DKW. In 1927, Framo introduced their TV300 delivery trike and began specializing in commercial vehicles, gaining prominence for its innovative designs and robust engineering. Throughout its history, Framo produced a range of trucks, vans, and compact cars, leaving a lasting legacy in the automotive industry before merging with Barkas, an East German van manufacturer, in 1961.
The Piccolo was introduced by Framo in 1934 as an attempt for the company to create a “people’s car” for Germany. Ultimately, that title would go to the now famous Volkswagen created by Ferdinand Porsche. Recently acquired by the museum, this car is believed to be one of the prototypes for the Framo Piccolo and represents not just a vehicle, but a testament to resilience and innovation in challenging times.
I have only pictured a small fraction of the collection. Unlike some museums the best stuff is not necessarily on display - they have 500 vehicles many of which are just as unusual as those on display on the day I visited. I have been to scores of museums around the world and this one rates very highly in my book.
RDMcG said:
How about a 1969 Fascination?....
...
The first rendering of that body was penned byJohn Tjaarda, a Dutch automotive stylist and engineer who worked on projects such as the first Chrysler Airflow and the first Lincoln Zephyr. Tjaarda was intrigued with the research of Hungarian, Paul Jaray, the early aeronautical genius behind the aerodynamic teardrop shape of German Zeppelins, Audi, Benz, and Adler prototypes, as well as the Tatra T-77 and T-87.
John's son did rather well, most notably penning the de Tomaso Pantera....
The first rendering of that body was penned byJohn Tjaarda, a Dutch automotive stylist and engineer who worked on projects such as the first Chrysler Airflow and the first Lincoln Zephyr. Tjaarda was intrigued with the research of Hungarian, Paul Jaray, the early aeronautical genius behind the aerodynamic teardrop shape of German Zeppelins, Audi, Benz, and Adler prototypes, as well as the Tatra T-77 and T-87.
alfaspecial said:
Edited for you If you were an East German citizen and you were innotrouble with the Stasi, you might have been able to buy a Wartburg camping limousine............ only the 'in trouble' version came not in a fetching shade of blue but that shade of paint known as 'hearse black'
The former Stasi HQ in Leipzig is worth a visit, unlike when it was operational
. I believe that one V.Putin was stationed there...RDMcG said:
Mr Tidy said:
Thanks for sharing those photos of so many weird and wacky cars. 
The entire catalogue includes an endless variety of mad cars... I will probably revisit.Doug DeMuro has done some videos of cars at the Lane Motor Museum. Videos of the typical cars he's into which are the quirkier Euro things that the average PH would be in amazement that anyone would even be bothered remembering, let along scouring Europe for museum grade examples. It's amazing how much European content is in that place.
RDMcG said:
..and now for something completely different:
Thus us what remains today of the Sir Vival, which the museum intends to restore to running conditions.
Always fascinating to see early failed attempts to do something. Can you imagine the poor sods face when told that instead of designing a completely overengineered oddity, they just had to design creases into existing shapes to have a better outcome Thus us what remains today of the Sir Vival, which the museum intends to restore to running conditions.
lufbramatt said:
Dapster said:
RDMcG said:
. The largest vehicle I have personally is a huge military amphibian called the LARC. The US army used these to move tanks from supply ships onto the shore. It has a V8 engine on each 9ft high wheel. 62 ft long
The LARC really is enormous!
Edited by lufbramatt on Tuesday 16th April 10:57
That was an absolute monster of a thing and this looks twice the size!
rodericb said:
Doug DeMuro has done some videos of cars at the Lane Motor Museum. Videos of the typical cars he's into which are the quirkier Euro things that the average PH would be in amazement that anyone would even be bothered remembering, let along scouring Europe for museum grade examples. It's amazing how much European content is in that place.
That surprised me too, though in an American context there are dozens of museums of old American cars, plus a few that have unmatched collections of very rare cars such as the Simeone in Philadelphia or the Peterson in LA all of shic I have visited.Sadly, my favourite museum of all, The Mullin has closed with the death of its founder.
I spent a magical day in that closed museum years ago . It specialized in Art Deco French cars and the building as design to be Art Deco too. Imagine being in an empty museum with these:
The Simeone specializes in competition cars and they run them in the yard sometimes;...
However, the completely eccentric places do it for me....how about the Dwarf Car Museum in Mesa AZ?....a very unusual guy decided to fabricate replica cars at 2/3 scale, powered by Honda engines and fully road legal:
The are of course endless numbers of museums around the world.. I generally pick up a few a year, even in India or China or the like. I will be in Germany in September and thee is a new one I want to see. While I much prefer driving to looking,seeing the variety f what people design and what others collect is well worth the time for me.
RDMcG said:
The are of course endless numbers of museums around the world.. I generally pick up a few a year, even in India or China or the like. I will be in Germany in September and there is a new one I want to see. While I much prefer driving to looking, seeing the variety of what people design and what others collect is well worth the time for me.
Sounds like the start of a thread, right there. Who's in?Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff