The brilliant and wildly eccentric Lane Motor Museum...
Discussion
In a huge flat building , a former commercial bakery sits the most eccentric and fascinating automobile collection I have come across. The founder, Jeff Lane has collected some amazing one-offs, obscure models that have long disappeared, and yet includes modern cars that are out of the ordinary. You will not find exotics such as vintage Ferraris or the like in the Lane Museum, but there are rare, often unique vehicles that I had never seen before, Many of them were completely new to me. At any time the Museum exhibits about 150 of its 500 car collection, though it is possible to get a tour of the cars not on exhibit by advance appointment.
Many of the reliable oddities are here…Peels, Sinclair C5, Morgan 3 wheelers, Reliants and the like which will be familiar to UK residents, but a a great number are from other countries. The collection is not massively American but covers the globe.
The pics below are merely a test of the collection but I can see retiring one day for the reserve collection tours.
Entering the customer parking (which is free) there is a small exhibit of three-wheelers:
Still in the parking garage, there is a Wehrmacht Tempo in the corner...these were weird and very flexible twin enginged offroaders....
I have seen a few Tempo in other places...this one is in the Museum in Sinsheim, Germany and gives a good idea of the suspension travel:
After the war they built commercials like this one that I saw in Hamburg:
Many of the reliable oddities are here…Peels, Sinclair C5, Morgan 3 wheelers, Reliants and the like which will be familiar to UK residents, but a a great number are from other countries. The collection is not massively American but covers the globe.
The pics below are merely a test of the collection but I can see retiring one day for the reserve collection tours.
Entering the customer parking (which is free) there is a small exhibit of three-wheelers:
Still in the parking garage, there is a Wehrmacht Tempo in the corner...these were weird and very flexible twin enginged offroaders....
I have seen a few Tempo in other places...this one is in the Museum in Sinsheim, Germany and gives a good idea of the suspension travel:
After the war they built commercials like this one that I saw in Hamburg:
Moving from one of the smallest cars, a trip outside is worthwhile..
. 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
Getting the LARC to the museum took careful planning, a series of closes roads avoiding bridges, and removed the driver’s cab. The LARC came up the river and made land in the port of Nashville.It was then driven very slowly through the city in the middle of the night to reach the Museum.
The thing is just massive as the pics show:
They did run it over a car:
![](https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/77298/202404168618274?resize=720[/img]</a> <a href="https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/77298/202404168750628" Target="_blank" >[img]https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/77298/202404168750628?resize=720)
. 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
Getting the LARC to the museum took careful planning, a series of closes roads avoiding bridges, and removed the driver’s cab. The LARC came up the river and made land in the port of Nashville.It was then driven very slowly through the city in the middle of the night to reach the Museum.
The thing is just massive as the pics show:
They did run it over a car:
Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 16th April 02:26
Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 16th April 02:28
Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 16th April 02:31
..and now for something completely different:
Thus us what remains today of the Sir Vival, which the museum intends to restore to running conditions. Their policy is to preserve as much of the original finish as possible rather than a Concours restoration. I have included a period photo below to give you a sense of this thing...........
Thus us what remains today of the Sir Vival, which the museum intends to restore to running conditions. Their policy is to preserve as much of the original finish as possible rather than a Concours restoration. I have included a period photo below to give you a sense of this thing...........
The Davis Divan was build by a charismatic fraudster called Gary Davis who raised a lot of money from investors.The car was demonstrated at various events on both coasts, repainted each time to give the impression that there were multiple vehicles. Ultimately Davis ended up in the Hoosegow for a couple of years.
.......OK..back with some more:
The Gyro X was a gyroscopically balanced two wheeler with retractable su[pport wheels. Apparently good for 75mph but was reported as having stability problems. Only one built:
The architect Buckminster Fuller ( who invented there geodesic dome) turns his hand to automotive design and built this monster, the Dymaxion. Three were built, the first of which crashed and killed two of its occupants, the second was scrapped and one original survives. This is an exact replica:
The Gyro X was a gyroscopically balanced two wheeler with retractable su[pport wheels. Apparently good for 75mph but was reported as having stability problems. Only one built:
The architect Buckminster Fuller ( who invented there geodesic dome) turns his hand to automotive design and built this monster, the Dymaxion. Three were built, the first of which crashed and killed two of its occupants, the second was scrapped and one original survives. This is an exact replica:
How 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.
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