Daily demonstrations at 11am, free with admission!
About
Mission Statement
The mission of Lane Motor Museum shall be to collect, preserve, document, and interpret an eclectic and technically interesting collection of cars and other transportation-related objects for the purposes of educating the public about the history of transportation.
History of Lane Motor Museum
In 2002, Jeff Lane established Lane Motor Museum. Jeff has been an automotive enthusiast since an early age. He began restoring his first car—a 1955 MG TF—when he was a teen. His personal collection was the donation that began the foundation. Lane Motor Museum unveiled its collection to the public in October of 2003. As director, Jeff Lane continues to search out cars for the collection that are technically significant or uniquely different. The goal of Lane Motor Museum is to share in the mission of collection and preserving automotive history for future generations.
The Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
Lane Motor Museum is one of the few museums in the U.S. to specialize in European cars. It is a working museum with the goal of maintaining all vehicles in running order. Some cars are in showroom condition, while others represent typical aging. Efforts are made to restore each vehicle to near-original specifications.
The Museum has been developed in a well-known Nashville landmark, the former Sunbeam Bakery at 702 Murfreesboro Pike. Home to the bread company beginning in 1951, the 132,000 square-foot facility was the largest and most modern bakery in the area at the time of its opening. The bakery building, outfitted for the museum’s needs but left with many of its original characteristics, has a high ceiling, natural light, and hand-crafted brick and maple wood flooring. The architectural style complements the age of the cars represented. The main floor has approximately 40,000 square feet of open space, ideal for displaying the collection.
Fun FAQs
The foundation was based on a donation of 70 vehicles in 2002. The majority of the cars have been acquired by the Museum since that time.
Our smallest vehicle is a Peel P50. It is listed in the Guinness World Records as the “Smallest Street-Legal Car” and it is 53” long, 39” wide, and 53” high. The vehicle was built by Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, U.K. from 1962 until 1965. A single passenger car capable of speeds up to 40 mph.
The largest is the amphibious LARC-LX. It is the width, length, and height of three semis parked side by side. Built for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, the tires are 9 feet tall. The vehicle is powered by 4 engines that drive each of the wheels.
The oldest car in the collection is a 1909 Renault Type AG Series 1. Renault’s Type AG, the very first Parisian taxi, would go down in history for its role in carrying troops to the Marne during the First World War.
The newest model is a 2020 Citroën AMI Electric City Car.
Weird?!?! We like the word “unique”. I would say the Helicron. This one-of-a-kind vehicle was constructed in France in 1932.
What makes it unique is the propeller! The Helicron’s engine drives the propeller which pulls the vehicle down the road! It carries a Tennessee license plate
The fastest car is probably our 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10. Dodge claims it has a top speed of 197 mph!
Okay, here we go: Amphicar, Berkeley, Citroën, DKW, Elcar, Fiat, Georges Irat, Honda, Ifa, Jawa, Kawasaki,Lotus, MG, NSU, OTAS, Porsche, Renault, Scootacar, Tatra, UrbaCar, Voisin, Weidner, Yamaha, and Zündapp.
Well, you caught us. We are missing X and Q, but we are working on it!
Over 550 vehicles are in the collection. We have room to display approximately 150 cars on the museum floor. Lane Motor Museum rotates its collection on a regular basis to keep the exhibit area fresh for returning guests.
On a good day, seriously, I would say 90% of our collection runs. A few cars are going through major restoration. There is always maintenance to be done on a collection this large – a brake job here, an electrical problem there. The vehicles receive annual tune-ups and oil changes.
Possibly a Mathis 333 – a 3 wheel, 3 seat vehicle.
Officers and Board of Directors
Jeff Lane
President and Board Member
David Yando
Secretary and Board Member
Bob McKeown
Board Member
Ellen Pryor
Board Member
Viktor Hammer
Board Member
Michael Schupp
Board Member
Questions?
Please call Rebecca Evans at 615-742-7445 or email marketing@lanemotormuseum.org