Cars 1894-1966

Toyota Automobile Museum

Nagakute, Japan

All of the cars in this museum, and there are 140 of them, have been maintained in working order. The musuem itself was far more interesting than I expected. I was traveling with two persons who have minimal interest in cars. Both found the museum to be fascinating and were sorry we didn’t have more time to spend there.

Benz Velo
1894 Benz Velo. One of the first commercially produced cars. Made in Germany and sold there as well as in France and the U.S. Top speed was about 13 mph.
1897 De Dion-Bouton
1897 De Dion-Bouton. Yes, it’s a stretch to call this a car. Built in France. Has a 1-3/4 hp engine mounted onto a tricycle.
Baker Electric
1902 Baker Electric. And you thought electric cars were a new thing. This U.S. built car could cruise along about 25 mph and would go about 50 miles on a single charge. That’s better than my Prius Plug-In Hybrid.
1902 Oldsmobile Curved Dash
1902 Oldsmobile Curved Dash. The world’s first mass-produced car. Americans bought 5,000 of these in 1904.
1909 Stanley Steamer Model E2
1909 Stanley Steamer Model E2. Steam-powered, U.S. built. Now Stanley Steamer cleans my carpets.
1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Nevermind that it’s fire-engine red, in the museum they say this U.K. roadster “drove as quietly as an apparition.”
1911 Delaunay-Belleville
1911 Delaunay-Belleville. The Rolls-Royce of France
1913 Morris Oxford
1913 Morris Oxford. This was the British idea of a compact in the 1910’s.
1920 Daimler Type 45
1920 Daimler Type 45. The preferred car of the British royal family. Perhaps they were taken by the single-unit rear-view mirror, horn, headlamp situation.
1928 Hispano-Suiza
The spiffy interior of the 1928 Hispano-Suiza. a French luxury car.
1929 Duesenberg Model J
1929 Duesenberg Model J. Don’t be fooled by the name, this one was made in the USA.
1929 Ford Model A
1929 Ford Model A. This one was made in Yokohama, Japan.
1935 Hispano-Suiza K6
1935 Hispano-Suiza K6. This beauty was the last of the line.
1936 Toyota Model AA
1936 Toyota Model AA. The first Toyota. (I’m on my fourth Toyota.)
1937 Cord Model 812
1937 Cord Model 812. A front-wheel drive American car that was considered too far ahead of its time to be successful. Note the retractable headlights.
1938 Nissan Model 70 Phaeton
1938 Nissan Model 70 Phaeton. Nissan borrowed the design from the Kruseder made by the Graham Page Co. in the U.S.
1938 Peugeot 402
1938 Peugeot 402. All about French style.
1939 Delage Type D8-120
1939 Delage Type D8-120. Built by a French motor racing company.
1939 Packard Twelve
1939 Packard Twelve. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s car.
1942 KdF-Wagen
1942 KdF-Wagen. The bug’s ancestor. Built by Volkswagen.
1948 Tatra Model 87
1948 Tatra Model 87. From Czechoslovakia. The V-8 engine is in the rear.
1951 Saab 92
1951 Saab 92. Up to this point, Saab had been a Swedish airplane manufacturer.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
1953 Chevrolet Corvette. The first ‘vette.
1955 Ford Thunderbird
1955 Ford Thunderbird. Ford’s answer to the Corvette.
1955 Fujicabin Model 5A
1955 Fujicabin Model 5A. A Japanese 3-wheeler.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. Can’t you just picture Elvis cruising around in one of these?
1966 Toyota Corolla
1966 Toyota Corolla. The Toyota folks credit this car with triggering a boom in private car ownership in Japan.
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20 Responses to Cars 1894-1966

  1. retrosimba's avatar retrosimba says:

    A dazzling display. Thanks for the tour.

    In 2013, a 1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 sold at a Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, California, for $2.25 million.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Donna Janke's avatar Donna Janke says:

    Beautiful cars. It’s impressive that they are all in working order? Are they taken out regularly for drives?

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Interesting to see the design changes over time.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. What a fine museum. It’s great that all this history has been preserved.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Wow! Did I see the car from the classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movies in one of the photos? 🤗

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Sam Gridley's avatar Sam Gridley says:

    The power tricycle looks contemporary. Did you test it to see if it still works?

    Liked by 1 person

  7. GP's avatar GP says:

    Oh wow, I would have to take one home!!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. niasunset's avatar niasunset says:

    This is so beautiful museum, I love old cars… Thank you, Love, nia

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Greg's avatar Greg says:

    what a fine collection of historic cars. I get “Pinterest” posts that often cover older cars. The motorized trike is right up my alley.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Bishal Das's avatar Bishal Das says:

    what a beautiful collections of cars ! Love it.

    came across : https://medium.com/@dasaahelidas/the-serene-landscapes-of-the-welsh-countryside-hidden-gems-and-scenic-routes-61610f691f51
    The Serene Landscapes of the Welsh Countryside: Hidden Gems and Scenic Routes

    Liked by 1 person

  11. smitamitra234's avatar Sun says:

    wow! Their sleek designs, powerful engines, and intricate craftsmanship evoke a sense of nostalgia and admiration.
    I love this post too:

    Cars 1894-1966

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Your museum tour captured my interest. Now I see you’ve got some other places in Japan for me to check out. Japan’s been on my list for a future visit, but it’s such a long flight.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. gederedita's avatar gederedita says:

    wow, i love your post. i love all cars

    Liked by 1 person

  14. They sure do have some pretty interesting history. If I had to pick one to drive I kinda think I’d go with the Stanley Steamer.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. what an interesting collection of Toyota Cars. Wish i could experience it in person.

    Joseph
    http://www.teamcardelight.com

    Liked by 1 person

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