Riverside International Automotive Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Riverside International
Automotive Museum
(RIAM)

Established	2006
Dissolved	2016
Location	815 Marlborough Ave, Suite 200 Riverside, California, 92501 United States
Type	Automotive museum

The Riverside International Automotive Museum (RIAM) was a special place in Riverside, California. It was a non-profit organization that worked to "Preserve the memory of California's rich motorsports heritage." This means it kept alive the exciting history of car racing in California.

The museum showed off many cool things. These included items from the famous Riverside International Raceway and the Ontario Motor Speedway. It also celebrated local racing hero Dan Gurney. The museum closed in June 2016 after one of its founders, Doug Magnon, passed away in 2015. The amazing car collection was later sold at auctions.

Inside, the museum had some very important race cars. It also had the biggest collection of Maserati road cars in the United States. This collection included an example of every Maserati model sold in the U.S. since 1951.

Museum History

The RIAM started in 2006. It was created by Ray and Doug Magnon, a father and son who loved car racing. They set it up as a non-profit group.

Ray Magnon was good friends with Skip Hudson and Dan Gurney. All three shared a passion for racing. Doug Magnon, Ray's son, also became very interested in cars and racing.

The Magnon family, who had Italian roots, began collecting cars. They especially loved Maseratis. Maserati is one of the oldest Italian car brands. It has a long and exciting history in racing in Europe.

In 2006, they built a large building, about 20,000 square feet, to hold their growing collection. The museum officially opened its doors to the public in December 2007.

Exciting Events

Legends of Riverside Film Festival

In March 2009, the museum hosted its first Legends of Riverside Film Festival. This event was also a fundraiser for charity. The first person honored was Dan Gurney, a true racing legend. Ed Justice, Jr., a well-known radio and TV host, interviewed Dan Gurney at a special gala.

In the years that followed, other racing heroes were honored. These included Carroll Shelby, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser, and Bob Bondurant. Each of them was also interviewed by Ed Justice, Jr.

The festival showed popular racing films. It also gave people a chance to meet famous racing legends in person. Many great racers attended the 2009 event. These included Dan Gurney, Elliot and Stuart Forbes-Robinson, Bob Bondurant, Peter Brock, George Follmer, and Dick Guldstrand.

The second festival took place in March 2010. Carroll Shelby was the special guest of honor. Other racers like Dave MacDonald, Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Ronnie Bucknum, and Chuck Daigh were also celebrated.

Other Museum Gatherings

The museum also offered its space for other special events. Businesses and groups could hold their functions there. One of the first events was the 2008 Old Riverside Foundation Awards. The RIAM received an award for "Celebrating Riverside’s Heritage" at this event.

Collections and Exhibits

The museum had many interesting exhibits. They focused on California's racing past and famous drivers.

Riverside International Raceway History

The 1969 to 1989 version of Riverside International Raceway

The Riverside International Raceway (RIR) was a famous race track. It operated from September 1957 to July 1989. For most of its life, the RIR was just outside the city of Riverside. It was about 10 miles from where the museum later stood.

In 1984, the RIR land became part of Moreno Valley. Five years later, the track was torn down. A shopping mall and houses were built there instead. The museum had many photos and souvenirs from the RIR. It also shared information about earlier races from 1953 and 1954. These races happened at March Air Force Base, now called the March Joint Air Reserve Base.

Ontario Motor Speedway

Another California race track featured was the Ontario Motor Speedway (OMS). This track was in Ontario, California. The OMS was built to be like the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, it only operated for a short time, from 1970 to 1981.

Dan Gurney: A Local Hero

Dan Gurney at the 2008 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Dan Gurney was born in New York. But he moved to Riverside, California, after high school in 1948. He quickly got into car racing. He started by racing hot rods around the orange groves of Riverside.

Dan Gurney became a top road racer. He was one of the most popular Formula One Grand Prix drivers. He won an amazing 51 races in his career. He was the first driver to win in all four major racing types: Grand Prix, Indy Car, NASCAR, and Sports Car.

Gurney won his first NASCAR race at the Riverside International Raceway in 1963. He was a hometown favorite and won five races on his local track. One of the museum's main exhibits celebrated Dan Gurney's amazing career. It honored him as a true local hero.

Racing Archives

The RIAM collected a large amount of racing history. This included photos, magazines, programs, and posters. It also had official papers about races, tracks, and racecars from all over California. The museum was working to make these archives digital. They also had many hours of audio and video recordings about racing.

Restoration Projects

In one part of the museum, visitors could see two service bays. Here, they could watch as museum staff worked on restoring old cars. It was a chance to see history being brought back to life.

Automobiles

The museum's founders believed in keeping all vehicles in working condition. They also made sure the cars were used regularly. Some cars were on loan from other museums or private owners. Because of this, the cars on display often changed.

Motorcycles

1986 Ducati 750 F1

The RIAM had one motorcycle on display. It was a 1986 Ducati 750 F1. Racer Gary Patton rode this bike. He won the 1988 American Road Racing Association Open Twin class championship with it. In 1987 and 1988, this motorcycle won races at Riverside International Raceway and Willow Springs Raceway.

Images for kids

• 

  1966 Shelby 427SC Cobra

• 

  Frua-bodied Maserati Quattroporte

• 

  2006 Maserati MC12 Stradale

• 

  2006 Ford GT1

See also

• List of Maserati vehicles