Bizzarrini to Model T

One of the many museums at Balboa Park is the San Diego Automotive Museum, which "offers a nostalgic look at the icon of the 20th-century; it features more than 80 historic autos and motorcycles.

Considerable information was available on video presentations scattered around the auto collection and on printed background data on each vehicle.

We began our walk around the displays with the green car in the center of the photo above.

1932 Morgan Super Sports
"More than a motorcycle and not quite a car, the Morgan is the best known and the finest of the British 3-wheelers. Morgan's were popular during the 1930's in Britain due to a tax advantage that allowed three-wheeled car to be registered as a motorcycle.

"Low and purposeful, the Morgan Super Sports John Alfred Prestwich (JAP) engine is slung aggressively in front of a beautifully rounded radiator wîth its single rear wheel almost concealed. The engine was a favorite of motorcyclists" (conceptcarz.com/vehicle/Morgan-Super-Sport).

1966 Bizzarrini
Only three of this model were ever made. Giotto Bizzarrini worked for Ferrari, Lamborghini and other companies before starting his own company in 1964. Several concept cars in the 2000s bear his name (en.wikipedia.org/Giotto_Bizzarrini).

1974 Lamborghini Countach 5000S

1914 Model T
The driver's door of this model does not open; the car starts by cranking it.

1915 Saxon Runabout
This diminutive two-seater was advertised as a "woman's car," easy to cntrol and care for. In 1917, the company produced 28,000 cars making it the seventh largest car maker in the U.S.

1911 Model T Speedster
This model was built for racing. Barney Oldfield raced this model.

1912 Pathfinder
The main market for Pathfinder, built in Indianapolis, was pre-war Russia. The beginning of World War I closed this market and Pathfinder was forced to refocus on the highly competitive US market.

The Pathfinder's slogan was "known for reliability," but an equally high emphasis was placed on the appearances of the vehicles themselves, especially the vibrant paint color combinations.

1913 Cadillac Model 30
In advertisements for this model, the company first used their
"Standard of the World" slogan. With precision manufacturing and in-house mass-production of a single line of cars, Cadillac had every reason to feel that the Model 30 was a world-class car within the reach of most buyers.

On an easel in a corner of the museum were these photos (above) of an automobile--a Cadillac. The parts of that auto hidden under the rust were reunited with some meticulous attention to produce the work below.

1931 Cadillac 452 Roadster V-16 OHV

The restored product was magnificent.

1909 International Harvester Model A Auto Wagon
"At the beginning of this new century, one of the most popular cars was the 'all purpose vehicle,' one that can carry the groceries, the lumber for weekend projects, and take the family on an outing. In 1907, the International Harvester Company introduced an earlier version of the 'one car to do everything'--the Auto-Wagon.

"In 1909, Auto-Wagons had horizontally-opposed, air-cooled engines - located under the front seat and bed--and its rear bed could be fitted with one or two passenger seats, carrying up to nine people. The tank on the front of the vehicle with the familiar IHC insignia is a gas tank, not a radiator, as the air-cooled engine didn't need a water reserve.

"By 1911, International Harvester was building "high-wheelers" in truck form only and less than a year later, they were out of auto production completely" (letsgoseeit.com/san_diego/loc12/international/international).

1930 Model A "Rat Rod" Pickup Truck
This auto was about four feet high and made quite an impression as we completed the tour of the museum.

However, there was that 1947 Cadillac....