You will find the Deer Park Winery and Automotive Museum in suburban San Diego, next door to the Lawrence Welk Resort for seniors. Yes, that Lawrence Welk. Just follow the Chevy Impalas with their turn signals stuck on.
The museum is a semi-secret. I lived in Southern California for three years before I heard about this eclectic Escondido auto collection. I would later introduce it to other car nuts who were unaware of it, including one who worked only five miles away.
The three buildings that house the museum surround a small vineyard and claim to hold the world’s largest collection of convertibles. The curator was late real estate mogul Robert Knapp, a man of many tastes. His collection includes countless Americana antiques, hundreds of auto showroom signs and ads, the 1966 Parnelli Jones IndyCar, and a creepy compilation of everything Brooke Shields, from dolls to magazine covers. Too bad there were no “topless” photos of her.
The Deer Park car collection is both spectacular and peculiar. The 103 convertibles on display are mainly 1950s and 1960s American iron. The rare “orphaned” cars were the stars, including my personal Best in Show, a flawless 1954 Packard Caribbean in white and baby blue, one of only 400 total built that year.
My runner-up was a 1954 Kaiser Darren with a sliding driver’s door.
What collection would be complete without the car named after our Editor-in-Chief, the 1955 Messerschmitt Kabinerroller?
How about the handiwork of Frank Kurtis and Earl “Mad Man” Muntz, a 1952 Muntz Jet, of which only 49 are said to be still in existence.
I guess Crosley made more than cars!
Some of the cars are rough and the place could use a spruce-up, but that is part of the charm. A set of three Mustang convertibles sit outside one building, their tops rotting away. Some may find that sight disturbing, but it really makes you feel like you are taking a private tour of someone’s personal collection.
Check out Deer Park when you are in the area. If you do not get excited by this collection, you might as well drive next door and check into Lawrence Welk.
Deer Park Winery and Automotive Museum
29013 Champagne Blvd.
Escondido, California 92026
760-749-1666
www.deerparkwine.com
Admission: $10.00 Children under 9 are Free.
Open “most” Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Neat place.
My wife worked at a small auto museum in Stone Mountain Park when we first dated.
It had a few dozen nice old cars. One of the first Harley bikes (pretty much a bicycle with a small engine), a healthy assortment of Model A’s, T’s and 1950’s America. Lots of beautiful old sheet metal.
Deer Park has been written up a number of times in the collector and travel mags and newspapers (remember those) over the years so it is not exactly unknown to those of us who’ve been around for a while (including many who are non-Impala drivers who still have the wits to watch their signals). The last time I went there it was “closed” on a Saturday but they let us in anyway, to wander around for an hour or two. I would advise trying to call in advance though you may not reach anyone. If you do get in you will have a great time, especially if you enjoy Detroit iron from the 50’s and 60’s in convertible form. As shown in the pics, some magnificent examples.
“Just follow the Chevy Impalas with their turn signals stuck on.”
As a proud Impala owner, I resent that remark…even though my 2004 is for sale…
Very interesting car collection, to say the least. Does the owner ever drive any of them? I’d like to – mindful of turn signals, of course.
“Just follow the Chevy Impalas with their turn signals stuck on.”
I’m not sure if that was a dig towards old drivers or Impalas – or both. Either way, it wasn’t very nice.
When I grew up in Atlanta (Decatur), I used to frequent the car museum at Stone Mountain Park. Nice antiques in there.
“When I grew up in Atlanta (Decatur), I used to frequent the car museum at Stone Mountain Park. Nice antiques in there.”
I rode the train around the mountain in 1996, while on a business trip. Didn’t know of any car museum, otherwise I would have gone to see it.
“I rode the train around the mountain in 1996, while on a business trip. Didn’t know of any car museum, otherwise I would have gone to see it.”
I bought an annual pass for several years and would go to either ride the train, climb the mountain (the walking trail was fairly shallow except for the last half mile which was steep), and visit the auto museum. In the ’80s I felt smug walking up and down the mountain when I’d see others taking the cable car. Now I’d probably do the cable car.
Cool stuff, thanks!
Great looking place.
Jim Gilmore’s barn in Hickory Corners, MI is also a nice stop.
http://gilmorecarmuseum.org/
Within a couple hours drive you also have the Ford Museum in Dearborn and the Auburn, Cord, Duesenburg Museum in Auburn, IN.
Don’t forget the Studebaker museum in South Bend In.
Oh, and if you are in Escondido, check out San Diego Classic and Muscle Cars they have some interesting concinement cars for sale.
Nice find!
Clive Cussler’s car museum here in Denver has some very cool cars. He owns the cars used in his books and movies.
http://www.cusslermuseum.com/
I have yet to see the Gateway museum, a bit out of the way.
http://www.gatewayautomuseum.com/
It looks like both you (Virgil) and Mr Knapp are/were men after my own heart. I would certainly have been all over that Caribbean. Beautiful car. The Kaiser Darrin would also be a favorite. Looks like a Nash Healy in the first photo (first on the left).
Yes, Crosley initally made his fortune in radios and such. Good thing, too, because he had lots of issues with his cars, including, I believe, using copper based engines at first, most of which were replaced at his cost.
Another obscure car museum, off the beaten path, yet only about a mile from LAX is the Automobile Driving Museum, 610 Lairport Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (310)909-0950 http://www.automobiledrivingmuseum.org
A good collection of Packards and other cars, but the big attraction is that they take some the cars out on Sundays where the public can ride in them.
Reminds me a bit of the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville TN.
Another nice find.
Wow, had no idea that was there….. I drive past that resort quite a bit going to San Diego to endulge my photography hobby. Neat.
Sweet Messerschmitt, on my list of “when someone parks a truck full of money in my yard” list.
Just to add my local car museum. Check this one out the next time you find yourself in Fairbanks Alaska.
http://www.fountainheadmuseum.com/index.cfm
Real nice collection of the early history of the automobile
My buddy’s parents live just “down the street” in Deer Springs, and I took my truck off road across the way from the winery, and I didn’t know about this place! I doubt my car-loving buddy knows either! Gotta check that place out!