The Weekly 3
It has been a rough start to 2026 for automotive museum founders. On February 19th, Jon Oscher passed away. I had the privilege of meeting Jon, and he was the founding benefactor of not only the great Savoy Automobile Museum, but also Tellus Science Museum, Bartow History Museum and Booth Western Art Museum. Jon got to live to 93 years old, but the legacy he left behind will last for centuries.
Just three days earlier, on February 16th, the great George Barber passed away at the age of 85. George was well known for many things including the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. This museum also holds the record for being the largest motorcycle collection in the world.
I never got to meet George, but I’ve been to his museum multiple times. I can tell you with certainty, the Barber Museum is one of the greatest automotive museums in the world.
Unfortunately, museum founders passing away is inevitable. What happens next can sometimes be very disappointing. Click HERE to see how many automotive museums I’ve had to mark closed just in the last 6 years.
Fortunately, Barber and Savoy aren’t going anywhere, but in 2021 Larry Klairmont passed away and by 2025 the Klairmont Kollections Museum was permanently closed.
James “Bozo” Cordova, who was the founder of Route 66 Auto Museum passed away in 2025 and the museum is still open for now. I did visit this museum during one of my cross-country trips, and it was a cool stop, but I will be surprised if it lasts long-term. So I recommend visiting sooner rather than later.
In 2023, Peter Mullin, the founder of Mullin Automotive Museum passed away. In 2024, the museum was closed. This was an amazing museum, I unfortunately never got to visit in person.
In 2022, Dr Fred Simone passed away, but luckily, the Simone Foundation Automotive Museum lives on. This museum is still on my list of museums to visit. Fortunately, Dr. Simone ensured we’d all have the opportunity.
As the founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, this is something I think about constantly. Granted, I’m at least half the age of all these other great founders, but I also don’t have the resources they all did to create their wonderful museums.
I wouldn’t want to do any of this if I thought there was an expiration date. My goal is to ensure when I am gone, hopefully many decades from now, that Miles Through Time Automotive Museum will still be a place where automotive history and stories can be preserved and shared with visitors from all over the world.
If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.
WHICH AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM WILL YOU VISIT NEXT?
Plan your next trip, discover your new favorite, or find the nearest museum
Sean Mathis
Creator of Automotive Museum Guide
Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum
P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.
Explore Automotive Museums in
GEORGIA
Savoy Automobile Museum
Savoy Automobile Museum allows visitors to explore the history and diversity of automobiles through changing exhibits, educational programs, and engaging experiences.
Explore Automotive Museums in
ALABAMA
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
With its creative architecture and great attention to detail, Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is home to over 1,400 motorcycles that span over 100 years of production.
Explore Automotive Museums in
PENNSYLVANIA
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
Assembled over 50 years by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Frederick Simeone, the Museum contains over 75 historically significant cars including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Bugatti.
Check out Past Newsletters
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Big Car Shows and Museums
Whether it’s a show to raise funds for a specific family in need, a church, a charity, or a museum, the proceeds raised help make a difference, and you have to spend a few hours having a good time.
Incubators for automotive interests
Just about every museum’s mission is some version of preserving and sharing automotive history, which is true and necessary.
Museums that help keep brands alive
Some of the very niche automotive museums you can visit may have it a little more difficult to capture a broader interest. Or perhaps because they are so niche, they have the ability to be hyper-focused on what they specialize in.
History Museum, Art Museum or Car Museum
I would argue that sometimes a car museum is just a car museum, but the best are all 3.
How many wheels do you prefer?
If you need an excuse to ride or drive somewhere, just open up the MAP and find a museum to visit.
This guy bought the entire museum
Visit as many museums as you can. Volunteer if possible. Become an advocate. If you have a collection or even just one car or priceless knowledge, share it.
There is a reason to the madness
It’s funny how often I get asked why I do the things I do. Why did I start Miles Through Time Automotive Museum?
It’s TIME this week.
Today, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum leases just shy of 50,000 square feet inside a 275,000-square foot textile mill.