HISTORY TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

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1 HISTORY The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum opened to the public with a formal reception on March 19, Based on a unique private collection, the museum s offerings include front wheel drive and rear engine cars from the 1920 s and 1930 s. Each vehicle was chosen based on the engineering achievements that made it an important part of the evolution of the automobile, setting the standards for the engineering of modern cars. The owner of the collection is Alain Cerf, who is the owner and founder of Polypack, a manufacturer of automated packaging machinery for consumer products. The Cerf family moved from their native France to the United States over thirty years ago. The museum shares the Polypack property that has housed the collection for many years. The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum building shares Polypack s contemporary architectural style and references to art history. The collection began in the 1950 s in France with Cerf s first car, a rare 1937 Peugeot Darl Mat. One of only 103 of its kind built, it had become an abandoned, unwanted prewar car. It reflected his tastes for the older, hand built European cars from the twenties and thirties, in deference to the newer micro cars being offered at the time. He purchased it at auction. When upgrading his cars over time, he chose them with the same concern for technology and craftsmanship he had seen in the Darl Mat. He saved his earlier cars for the future, planting the seeds of the collection. Cerf began to assemble a formal collection about fifteen years ago. As the collection reached its current level of completion, it was decided to open the museum to the public. The museum houses approximately forty vehicles in 12,000 square feet of space, including a gift shop area featuring vintage car related apparel, books and other items, and a selection of fine craft from Florida artists. Murals and touch screen presentations feature the engineers who designed the vehicles and examine historic, artistic and cultural achievements related to their times. Featured automobiles include Tracta, Citroen, Panhard and Voisin ; Tatra and Aero ; DKW and Mercedes ; Alvis, Allard and BSA : DeLorean (Ireland), and Willys Knight and Ruxton (USA). A special feature at the Museum is the world s only replica of the French 1770 Fardier de Cugnot, the world s first self-propelled vehicle. This vehicle is on loan from the Deutsche Bahn Museum in Nuremberg, Germany. Other vehicles will be added as restorations are completed or a specific car is found. The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum is working to increase its presence locally, nationally and internationally through news, entertainment and trade media, through the tourism and hospitality industries and by outreach to area residents. Museum rental and catering services are available for special events and meetings. Curriculum based school tours are in the planning phases for the school year to bring area students to the museum to learn about automobiles, science, technology, art and design, and history. TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

2 MISSION STATEMENT The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum offers an important and scholarly collection of vintage European and American vehicles whose engineering influenced the evolution of the automobile, setting the standards for the cars we drive today. The mission of the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum is to foster interest in and appreciation for the technology, innovation, aesthetics and the historical and cultural impact of the automobile to museum visitors of all ages, through the exhibition of its collection, and through docent tours, lectures, special events and educational programs. TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

3 C URRENT LY O N E X H I B I T 1936 Adler Trumpf Junior 1952 Delahaye NSU RO Aero 1982 Delorean (Northern Ireland/UK) 1937 Panhard Dynamic 1948 Allard P Detra 4/14 Cabriolet 1937 Peugeot Darl 'Mat 1928 Alvis Model F.D. 12/ Derby L Rolls Royce Sedanca 1938 Amilcar Compound 1939 DKW Meisterklasse 1929 Ruxton (USA) 1927 Avions Voisin - C7 Chastness 1770 Fardier de Cugnot (replica) 1950 Salmson S4E 1930 BSA Three Wheeler 1929 Ford Model A Race Car (USA) 1953 Talbot Lago T 15 Q L BSA Scout 1929 Ford Model A with Gas O Gen Alternative Fuel System (US/Spain) 1950 Talbot Lago Record 1934 Chenard et Walcker 1971 Gregoire Electric Car 1930 Tatra Type T T Citroen Half-Track 1927 Hanomag-Kommisbrott 1967 Tatra Citroen SM Maserati 1951 Hotchkiss Gregoire 1937 Tatra T Citroen Traction Avant 7CV 1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire 2 Door 1938 Tatra T Citroen Traction Avant15CV 1972 Jaguar E-Type V Tatra T600 Tatraplan 1961 Citroen Sahara 2 CV 1953 Jensen Tatra T Citroen 2CV 1942 Kubelwagen Type Tracta A 1955 Claveau 1965 Maserati Sebring (Italy) 1930 Tracta E 1929 Cord L29 (United States) 1935 Mercedes 130H 1928 Willys Knight - Model 56 (USA) 1937 Cord 812 Beverly Supercharged (United States) 1937 Mercedes 170H TAM PA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

4 A FEW WORDS TO PRESENT OUR COLLECTION Polypack, Inc. designs and manufactures automatic packaging machinery. This is a technical activity based upon research and innovation. Behind any machine, robot, computer or automobile stands a human being. His or her ability to create and give life - albeit a very limited artificial life - to useful equipment will lead to the development of material progress. I was born in France and bought my first "vintage car" out of necessity in the 1950s when a Talbot, Delahaye or Darl Mat was less expensive than a modern "people s car". I loved those classics and one after another, after good service, they were garaged, waiting for better years. Tatra cars from Czechoslovakia became another interest. I was intrigued by technology and styling that could almost have come from outer space. The idea of a collection based upon avant-garde automobile technology grew stronger everyday. Tatra and its engineer, Hans Ledwinka, symbolize the rear-engine technology; front-wheeldrive engineering was the obvious counterpoint with its great apostle, Jean Albert Gregoire. They are the Yin and Yang of automobile technology. Please see page 80 of this book. In the course of our research we discovered more creative engineers, some of whom are unknown to the public at large. The names include Jaray, Muller, Porsche, Rasmussen and Rohr. We hope you will enjoy our collection while discovering the great engineers who designed and built these innovative cars. Welcome to Polypack s tribute to creativity and imagination. Alain A. Cerf 1

5 A TRIBUTE TO CREATIVITY & IMAGINATION In today s world, cars are designed by groups of engineers and technicians, each specializing in one field using the latest technology available through computers. Any new design of an automobile commands several years of research and testing. In the first half of the 20th Century, it was common for a group of six, ten or even twelve engineers, technicians and draftsmen to undertake such studies to design a prototype ready for the road in one year or less without the help of CAD systems, computers or even electronic calculators. These engineers, either by schooling or by trade, were the ferment necessary to a new industry in full expansion. Each individual was in charge of different specialized areas. In the early 1930 s Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, working in Germany, and Jean Albert Gregoire of France, were perfect examples to illustrate this theory. Hundreds of different companies were competing in both the United States and in Europe. New ideas came into existence everyday; however, very few were successful. New materials were not yet available or more often the capital was lacking as manufactures unsure of these new and extreme concepts were skeptical about investing in technology too fresh to be trusted. Our goal is to present some of these engineers, many of who are virtually unknown to the layman. These are the engineers who designed the cars on display here in our showroom. Their imaginations and dreams created technology commonly used in the automobile industry today. 2

6 ABOUT OUR COVER Yin - White Tatra T87 Yang - Black Hotchkiss Gregoire The two designers of the two cars could not be too different: but they also complemented one another. Hans Ledwinka, born in the old Austro Hungarian Empire, was an apostle of the rear engine. Jean Albert Gregoire, born in Paris, was the leader of front wheel drive in France and Europe. Ledwinka was timid. His forte was engineering and manufacturing. Gregoire was a renaissance man. His forte was engineering, writing, expertise on wine and mushrooms, public relations and track and field. Ledwinka earned the respect of his peers, even though, at the end of the Second World War, the Czechoslavian communist party jailed Ledwinka (German) for his involvement in the war. Gregoire had many friends in business and political circles, but few in the automotive industry. He was considered an outsider in an exclusive clique and remains widely rejected. Both men had a common goal: Design an automobile to be more rational, efficient and ahead of their time. Both had the same opinion on at least two principles: 1. Suppress the transition between the front and rear of the car with the benefit of a lower vehicle. 2. Closely follow the precepts of aerodynamics. Ledwinka asked Paul Jaray to design the bodies of the T77 and T78. The unibody replaced the chassis with the help of Budd, the guru of welded steel car bodies. Gregoire tested the prototype models in a wind tunnel. The result was a CS of.26 which is still superior to today's modern cars. A cast aluminum frame replaced the chassis. Rear or middle engines are present on all sports cars and race cars. Front wheel drive is common in day-to-day transportation. 80

7 TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM BUILDING PHOTO BUILDING PHOTO BUILDING PHOTO CUGNOT FARDIER ALVIS DARL MAT Polycerf, Inc Gateway Centre Blvd. Pinellas Park, FL Tel: Fax:

8 TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM PANHARD DYNAMIC RUXTON TATRA T87 VOISIN TRACTA A TRACTA E Polycerf, Inc Gateway Centre Blvd. Pinellas Park, FL Tel: Fax: info@tbauto.org