For almost all of us vintage iron gearheads, nobody would confuse the place we keep our cars and bikes with a museum. You would have an exquisite set of examples that was large in number and displayed in an immaculate setting. Solvang is a museum. The Simeone is a museum. Likewise, people would not call our various pieces of vintage iron, running and non-running, a collection. You would need more than just a few pieces laying around and perhaps even more than one building. Jay Leno has a collection. However, there are a few folks around whose collection would easily qualify as a museum as well. Folks like Dave..

Dave’s collection is scattered over several buildings in and around a lovely little town in Pennsylvania. Some collectors start around a specific type of vehicle or a theme. Some like a particular marque. Dave seems to enjoy an eclectic mix of cars and motorcycles that are linked only by their exquisite condition, be that restoration or preservation. They are also displayed in superb surroundings. Wood paneling on the ceilings, tasteful memorabilia, artwork, soft lighting, and comfortable seating create the atmosphere of a library in each building. You could easily enjoy spending a day in any one of them with a pile of books and a good Brandy. In one building you could choose from a few Rolls Royces or perhaps a blower Bentley for your seating. In another, you could choose a Stutz Blackhawk or an Auburn V12 Speedster. You could saunter over to Lena Horn’s Drop Head Jaguar, or Tony Curtis‘ Gullwing Mercedes. Any one of the buildings would be a fine collection of its own. Competition cars are also sprinkled about the buildings. A Stanguellini Formula Junior, An Alfa Romeo Guilietta Zagato rally car, and a Shelby GT 500, to name a few. The jewel though has to be Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo 159S grand prix racer.

Motorcycles are as well represented as cars. Several BMWs included a green R50 with matching Globe sidecar, an R51/3 with a Stoye sidecar, and an R26. Other marques included a 1935 AJS 350, a pair of immaculate Bonnevilles, and a 1948 Indian Chief Dresser. These machines were often overwhelmed by the sheer size of the cars around them, but they were every bit as impressive. Competition motorcycles were also in abundance. They ranged from a 1954 MV Agusta 175CSTL Sport, to a 1929 Indian Beach Racer. In between were Moto Guzzis, a Norton Manx, a Velocette KTT, and a Matchless. Among my favorites though was a Moto Morini 500 Racer, which looked right at home next to the Stanguellini. Every motorcycle was immaculate, just like every car.

If this sounds like a little bit of everything, it does not present that way. Like a fine multi-course meal, it feels like a carefully selected and orchestrated combination designed to stimulate, surprise, and delight the senses. It leaves you reluctant to leave and eager to return.

6 Replies to “Dave’s Place”

  1. It was not a good day for riding, but it was a wonderful day for touring Dave’s Garage(s). Just an incredible collection of motorbikes and motorcars well worth your time. As Wayne commented, you could spend a day in each building relaxing and admiring the collections.
    We will be offering this tour again in the fall, with a smaller more intimate group and with one more museum added to the list . As incredible as this collection is, there is more to see once the additional buildings/museums are complete.

  2. Well written Wayne.

    Words really can’t describe the awesomeness of this collection.

    I used to visit the Collier museum in Naples, FL before it closed. At the time it was the largest and most expensive private collection of cars that I had the pleasure of viewing.

    Dave’s Garage trumps Collier with spades.

    Simply the finest collection of vintage cars and motorcycles that I have ever seen.

    Andy Anderson

    1. This was a real treat. We are all in debt to the guys that put collections like this together, and then share them!

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