Who has the best car collection?...Jay Leno?

My vote is for Don Snyder in OH. if you like factory built drag cars and model T's.

 

They have an open house, one saturday in the summer. They bus you from the collection at the private residence to the collection at the academy. They have a wide variety of vehicles including a Tucker, among an impressive collection of automobilia. Not bad for a garbage collector, I'd say. They are in the process of building a museum, that will be near the Tacoma dome. Best..who knows, matter of opinion.

 

Don Orosco, Bruce Meyer, or John Mumford.

 

I think you meant 7000.

 

Leno's taste doesn't match up with mine but his garage is likely more amazing than the cars. He has some very cool stuff.

What is listed here is stuff that is well known. There are some amazing collections everwhere that are mostly known only locally.

There is a dealer locally to me that has an amazing collection of cars. Cars that were taken off the truck over the years and placed in storage. These are 20-50 year old brand new cars.

There is a dealer in Columbus Ohio that has an amazing collection. I went to an "overflow" auction of is a couple years ago. Something like 70 cars that he just no longer had room for.

There is another guy near me that has a ton of old Hot Rods. Best part with his cars is that they are all for sale. You can barely walk between his cars. Someday I'll get pics. I was there awhile ago but I didn't have my camera.

My dads neighbor has a killer Harley collection that only a few people know about. Every bike is original. He has a very cool bike from WWII with bullet holes through the rear fender.

 

Back in the early 90's I wrote the auction action page for a local car magazine. I interview Harold LeMay & got a private tour of the collection with him. The day before he had just bought a 56 caddy convertible, at the time I asked him how many cars he had in his collection & he stated as of today we have over 2400 on the computer & I am sure we do not have them all listed . Then I asked where do you keep them all as we were driving over to his house to see more we have 50 building around the area & it looks like I will need another for the caddy & some others I am looking at buying. That was a great day for me Danny.

 

Not the biggest, but John Hendricks (founder of the Discovery Channel) has a cool collection in western Colorado that includes the Olds F-88 concept car.

http://www.gatewayautomuseum.com/

 

The Schlumpf brothers had the best until France stole it from them, it's now the French national motor museum.

http://www.collection-schlumpf.com/en/schlumpf/

 

which one is that? Maybe ive only checked Urban North Dakota

 

In terms of numbers I believe it's Toyota, I see them " collecting " on dealers lots all across the country!

 

Unless Jay Leno is on The HAMB then the top collection in the hands of a HAMBer is probably Bluto. He has some choice stuff over there in Poland.

 

Here in Saint Louis, HAMB approved cars I'd say Kurt McCormick

Barris out the ying yang

http://public.fotki.com/dwdarby/kurt_mccormick_coll/

 

more

 

I totally agree with Denise. Jay not only drives them, but films them in use so we can get a feel for them, history, what they have done to it, etc. Besides, he has stated over and over that if someone gets a kick, he will take you for a ride.

Do you think Ralph Loren will take you for a ride?

Besides, if it sits in a museum or in a personal collection but is never driven, it may as well sit in a creek bed or behind someones garage.

 

I was going to say the same thing. I've never met the guy, but I wouldn't mind taking a field trip through his barns.
Maybe not the biggest but some good quality stuff that's style-wise right on...

 

Denise is so right on this. Static ownership is just hoarding. Unless they are driven I don't care how many cars some guy owns. I would see Jay Leno nearly every day in a different car when I lived in Burbank. Once I saw him in a drizzle in an 8litre Bentley. The walls in his "museum" have black spots where the exhaust pipes dump that sweet start-up soot.
The other place I know that drives their cars is the Nethercutt museum where every year the employees take a group of cars and exercise them in a scenic locale but that still does not compare to the way Jay enjoys his classics.
Jay was holding court once and I got to listen in to some great stories.
Why are Duesenberg wiper arms so expensive he asked? He said he found out when the arms flew off his Duesy going 80mph on the 5 freeway through Burbank.
At speed they just don't stay on the car.....
I do not think that there are many other car collectors who can tell such stories.

 

Huber knows it, even posted pics here.

 

That is unreal

 

He's here...

 

I know after he died RIP. the kids were selling some of the cars a friend got a 55 buick ragtop for dirt money so I was trying to be bleavable
I went thru in 99 and its impossable to view all the cars in one day.
I thought real numbers were around 4500 done and to be done. and a fine man also. its a NW tressure for sure.

 

Bill Harrah back in the day before the auction.

 

Yes, they are among us..............

 

i walked through the ron pratt collection two years ago and he has some very impressive cars. the guy owns every 'popular' type of car from the early 1900's to the most current 'super car'. he also owns just about every car that boyd built on that tv show.

 

Google dennis albaugh car collection two many to list all chevys mostly ragtops

 

ive been there also.
very impressive. he has a full crew also that just services and maintains his collection. he told me that if he decides to drive the one in the middle of the warehouse, he expects it to be out and ready in 5 minutes or everyone is fired.

 

As far as enthusiasm, knowledge, and enjoyment (driving), for me it's the Big Dog (leno) hands down. BUT he's definately not the leader in what this board is about -traditional rods and customs. Who is? Moriarty? Mumford? McCormick? Who else? vic PS: Denise, I gotta save this quote "I'm certain Jay does not have the biggest/largest BUT his is certainly very impressive." outta context. I am certain that he loved reading that! v

 

I'd add Dennis Varni's collections to the list ...

A32Flathead has some great pics of Dennis' "Speed Nymph Garage" in a flickr album:


Just click the thumbnail of
Varni's Rollin Bones Tudor

In addition to the Speed Nymph Garage, Dennis (& wife Kathy) have an awe-inspiring collection at their personal residence:

 

Bottom line, I'd wash windshields, sweep floors, change oil... whatever Jay Leno wanted to work in his shop any day! A wonderfully eclectic group of cars that gets maintained and DRIVEN- what what an automobile was MEANT to do.

 

Damn. Almost makes you want to quit cars and start collecting Depression Glass or Eggbeaters. Almost.

 

The best car collections are the ones put together by guys with a passion for the cars, and some type of focus. I'd love to spend a day at the Nethercutt collection, even if you're forced to wear a jacket and tie. I had a great time looking at Jay Leno's cars, and thanked him for letting my wife and I see the collection. "Well, it really isn't a collection." was his reply. Ok, neat toy collection, and they see sandbox play time. A great local collection is the Simeone Collection in Philadephia.http://www.simeonefoundation.org/.