A Central Texas trip down automotive memory lane

"Anyone who is at all interested in the history of our country and its people will have a natural fascination with the automobile, not only for its mechanical development, but also for the men and women who had the foresight and ingenuity to begin its development. Just look at the impact the automobile has had on society, not only in our country but around the world. This is why we find the preservation of the automobile so important to this and future generations." Founder, Dick Burdick

 

Every time I watch Back to the Future, I yearn to travel back in time. I have always wanted to drive the various instruments of the period. Whether it was a 1949 Mercury Coupe or 1908 Model T Ford, I want to be able go on that trip of a lifetime. On a sunny, breezy day along scenic Texas Highway 71 in Bastrop, I saw my dream vehicle, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. I knew right there and then to head down State Highway 304 to one of the largest automotive museums in the state, the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History (CTMAH) in Rosanky, Texas. This was my chance to go back in time and see first hand what people drove before I was born.

 

After driving 12 miles down the winding path overlooking the plethora of ranches, I made a right at the gates. At which point, the automobile gods greeted me. As I drove up the gravel driveway on the way to horsepower heaven, to the right I saw a restored Texaco gas station from the 1930s. Goosebumps ran through this nostalgic body as the anticipation of entering the museum augmented by the second.

After paying the admission fee in the gift shop, the first thing I noticed to the left was the wide array of license plates, early automotive tools and equipment. Additionally, there was a collection of old gasoline pumps and signs, which blended perfectly with the garage full of classic beauties that would even make a car aficionado nod with approval. What makes this car museum very unique is that it offers visitors a chance to look at American and European vehicles besides Mercedes, Ford or Chevrolet. They do this exceptionally well by tracing the growth of the automobile. The showcase contains vehicles from the Brass era (1902 Galloway Auto Transport), Vintage era (1927 Lone Star), Pre-World War II era (1930 Landau Coupe V-16 with a rumble seat), Post War era (1953 Studebaker Skyliner) and Modern era (1968 Pontiac GTO).

 

                                                      1911 Napier Garden Car (British)

While my favorite automobiles rolled off the assembly lines in the 1940s and 50's, there were several from near the turn of the century that peaked my interest. They include a 1913 REO (Random E. Olds) Touring Car; 1908 Maxwell Runabout and 1911 Napier Garden Car. Looking at these early and under-the-radar vehicles allowed me to picture myself cruising downtown Austin, Terrell (site of the first automobile trip in Texas) or Houston during the formative years of the automobile.

 

                                              1913 REO (Ransom E. Olds) Touring Car

In the second room of the museum is a 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II, aka the "Yellow Rolls of Texas," that museum owner Dick Burdick raced in the Great American Race. Burdick, a Texas businessman, rancher and huge car collector, created the 40,000 square-foot CTMAH in 1980 as a non-profit, educational foundation dedicated to the collection, restoration and preservation of classic automobiles, gas pumps, accessories and other related items. In 2009, he opened up another museum, Dick's Classic Garage in San Marcos and it features 65 automobiles including a 1948 Tucker and 1916 Hudson Boat Tail Speedster.

After traveling to various car shows and museums throughout the country, walking around the 120 plus car collection put many of them to shame. While it does not have all the automobiles in the world, it successfully represents the decade-by-decade evolution of the automobile. As I drove away, my heart began to settle down as my dream voyage into yesteryear was complete.

Central Texas Museum of Automotive History:
2502 Highway 304 Rosanky, TX 78957-9718
(512) 237-2635
www.ctmah.org

Dick's Classic Garage
120 Stagecoach Trail
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 878-2406
www.dicksclassicgarage.com