CURATOR ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Click on any question to read the answer)
{slider How long has it taken to build the collection?}
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.
{slider What is your smallest and largest vehicle?}
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.
{slider What age are the cars in the collection?}
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 2019 Ligier JS2 R race car. This car had been used extensively by Ligier in marketing the JS2, and was also one of three JSR’s seen by thousands of attendees at the 2019 PRI racing trade show in Indianapolis, and at the 2019 SCCA Runoffs.
{slider What is the weirdest car at the Museum?}
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
{slider What is the fastest car?}
The fastest car is probably our 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10. Dodge claims it has a top speed of 197 mph!
{slider Does Lane Motor Museum really have cars from A to Z?}
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!
{slider How many cars are in the collection?}
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.
{slider Do they all run?}
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.
{slider Is there anything you want for the collection that you don’t already have?}
Possibly a Mathis 333 – a 3 wheel, 3 seat vehicle.
{/sliders}