THE COLLECTION
A TRIBUTE TO ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPTS
& THE ENGINEERS BEHIND THEM
Housed in the museum galleries are many of the most innovative early approaches to aerodynamics, front-wheel drive and rear engine-rear drive engineering, unibody construction, pioneering uses of materials like cast aluminum, pressed steel and more.
The innovation of engineers such as Paul Jaray (designer of the Zeppelin airships), Gabriel Voisin (aircraft designer from World War I), and Jean Albert Gregoire (Tracta front wheel drive) are present in many automobiles throughout the collection. We believe that the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum is more than just a collection of cars, it is also a celebration of the engineers that, through advanced thinking, brought us the car as we know it today. Below is a preview of some of our cars from the collection.
Please note, while all the cars in our collection are shown here, we are unable to display them all at the same time.
France
1770 FARDIER DE CUGNOT
The First Self-Propelled Vehicle
France
1899 SOCIÉTÉ PARISIENNE
First Production Front-Wheel Drive
United States
1905 FRANKLIN MODEL F TOURING
Air-Cooled Engine, Lightweight Design
United Kingdom
1909 DAIMLER TB22 DROPHEAD
First Production Sleeve Valve Engine
United States
1910 ELMORE MODEL 36
Early 2-Stroke 4-Cylinder, "The Car With No Valves”
United States
1913 STEARNS - KNIGHT SK6
"America’s Most Luxurious Motor Car” Fastest Gasoline Car of 1913
United States
1916 OWEN MAGNETIC M-25 CHASSIS
Early Gasoline-Electric Hybrid
United States
1916 OWEN MAGNETIC O-36 TOURING
Hybrid Technology, Barn Find
United States
1917 OWEN MAGNETIC O-36 LIMOUSINE
Hybrid Technology, Unrestored
United States
1917 FRANKLIN 9A
Aerodynamic Aluminum Body, Air-Cooled Engine
United States
1920s “MIMILLE” MYSTERY CAR
1920s Mystery Race Car
United States
1921 Holmes Series 4 Sedan
Air Cooled Engine
United States
1922 MILBURN ELECTRIC
Evolution of Early Electric Cars
United States
1922 WILLS SAINTE CLAIRE A-68
The All-Molybdenum Marvel
France
1925 GERIN AERODYNE
Aero Body, Exoskeletal Spaceframe
Italy
1926 LANCIA LAMBDA
First Production Unibody
Germany
1925 HANOMAG KOMMISSBROT
Unibody, Rear-Engine Design
France
1927 AVIONS VOISIN C7
“Silent Knight” Sleeve Valve Engine, Power Brakes
United Kingdom
1928 ALVIS FD 12-75
Supercharged Aluminum Engines
Germany
1928 DETRA
The Deutsche Tatra
United States
1929 CORD L29
First American CV Joint FWD
United States
1929 RUXTON
Prototype American CV Joint FWD
France
1929 TRACTA A
Le Mans Winner- Front Wheel Drive
United States
1928 WILLYS-KNIGHT MODEL 56
“Silent Knight” Sleeve Valve Engine with Patented Rectifier
United States
1929 GAZOGÈNE FORD MODEL A
Gazogène Coal/Wood Gas Dual Fuel
France
1930 TRACTA E
Racing Technology Wrapped in Beauty and Elegance
United Kingdom
1930 MORGAN AERO SUPER SPORTS
High-Performance 3-Wheeler
Czechia
1930 TATRA 26-30
All-Terrain Capability
France
1931 CITROËN HALF TRACK
Survivor of ‘La Croisiere Jaune’
United Kingdom
1932 BSA 3-WHEELER
Air-Cooled V-Twin, FWD
United Kingdom
1933 ROLLS ROYCE
Tribute to Dali- ‘The Rainy Rolls’
France
1933 DERBY L8
Racing Pedigree, Driven by Speed Queen
France
1933 CHENARD-WALCKER SUPER AIGLE
Front Wheel Drive, Tracta CV Joints
Germany
1934 STOEWER GREIF
Aluminum V8 Engine, FWD
Germany
1935 AUDI 225 CABRIOLET
Pioneering CV Joints, FWD
Czechia
1935 TATRA 77A
Streamlined Air-Cooled V8
Germany
1936 ADLER TRUMPF
FWD, Independent Suspension, Unibody
Germany
1936 MERCEDES-BENZ 130H
Rear-Engine 'People's Car'
France
1937 PEUGEOT DARL’MAT
The Pinnacle of Pre-War Engineering and Elegance
Czechia
1937 AERO 50
2-Stroke Inline 4, Independent Suspension
United States
1937 CORD 812
Innovative Style and Engineering
Germany
1937 MERCEDES-BENZ 170H
Accessible Quality and Comfort
Czechia
1938 TATRA 97
Cost-Efficient Luxury, Aerodynamics
France
1938 PANHARD DYNAMIC
Art-Deco with Sleeve Valve Engine
Germany
1939 DKW MEISTERKLASSE F8
Contrary Engineering from Auto Union
France
1939 AMILCAR COMPOUND
Cast Aluminum Chassis, FWD
Czechia
1942 TATRA 87
Air-Cooled V8 Streamliner
France
1946 MATHIS VL333
Lightweight, 3 Wheels, 3 Seats
France
1947 TALBOT LAGO RECORD
World-Class Style and Luxury
France
1951 REYONNAH PROTOTYPE N°1
First of 16, Folding Suspension
France
1951 SALMSON S4E
Twin Cam, Electromechanical Transmission
France
1952 DELAHAYE 235
Performance in Chapron Beauty
France
1952 GRÉGOIRE CABRIOLET
Aluminum FWD Construction
United Kingdom
1952 JAGUAR XK120
World's Fastest Production Car
France
1952 CITROËN 15CV
“Queen of the Road”
United Kingdom
1953 JENSEN 541 PROTOTYPE
Aluminum Auto Show Prototype
France
1953 GRÉGOIRE COUPE
1953 New York Auto Show Star
France
1953 TALBOT-LAGO T15-QL6
Rear-Wheel Drive, Twin Cam
France
1955 CLAVEAU
Rubber Ring Suspension, 2-Stroke Power
France
1955 SALMSON 2300S
Twin Cam, Le Mans Experience
France
1961 DEUTSCH-BONNET LEMANS
Super-Light FWD Sports Car
France
1961 CITROËN SAHARA
Twin Engines, 4-Wheel Drive
United States
1964 STUDEBAKER AVANTI
Aero-Fiberglass, Supercharged V8
United States
1965 FORD MUSTANG AWD
AWD Prototype with ABS
United States
1965 CHEVROLET CORVAIR CORSA
Turbocharged Air-Cooled Engine
Czechia
1967 TATRA 603
Air-Cooled Alloy V8
Germany
1970 NSU RO80
Rotary Engine
Japan
1970 MAZDA COSMO
First Production Two-Rotor RWD
France
1971 CGE GRÉGOIRE ELECTRIC
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
United Kingdom
1973 JAGUAR E-TYPE
V12, Disc Brakes, Monocoque
France
1973 CITROËN DS PALLAS PRESTIGE
Hydropneumatic Suspension, Steerable Headlights
United Kingdom
1973 ROVER P6 3500S
Front Disc Brakes and Advanced Rear Suspension
France
1974 RENAULT ALPINE A110 1600 VD
Legendary Rally Performance
France
1975 CITROËN GS BIROTOR
Wankel Twin Rotor with Hydropneumatic Systems
United Kingdom
1982 DELOREAN DMC-12
Timeless Stainless Steel Engineering
France
1988 CITROËN CHARLESTON
Evolution of a 1930s Classic
United Kingdom
1989 NORTON COMMANDER
The British Rotary-Engine Motorcycle
United States
2008 AREX SUPER COUPE ROADSTER
One of a Kind Supercar
*Please note that the vehicles shown online are part of our collection but may not be on display when you visit. Our team is always in some stage of repair or restoration on a number of vehicles.