Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 17 June 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Type | Automobile museum |
| Key holdings | 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II 1970 Porsche 917LH 1936 Bugatti Type 57G Tank 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B MM 1958 Aston Martin DBR1 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 1956 Jaguar D-Type 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza |
| Collection size | 70+ cars |
| Founder | Frederick A. Simeone |
| Owner | Frederick A. Simeone MD Foundation, Inc. |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is a special place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It's a museum filled with amazing cars! The museum has about 75 racing sports cars. These cars were collected over 50 years by Frederick A. Simeone. He was a retired brain surgeon and grew up in Philadelphia.
Frederick Simeone was even named the number one car collector by the Classic Car Trust Registry.
Contents
History of the Museum
Frederick Simeone's father was a doctor who worked from his home in Philadelphia. When his father passed away in 1972, Frederick received $8,000 and four cars. These cars were kept in a garage. Over the next 40 years, Frederick Simeone collected many more cars.
In 2008, he gave his entire collection of cars to the museum's foundation. This foundation now owns all the cars. Before the museum opened in June 2008, the cars were stored in a garage in Philadelphia. Dr. Simeone passed away on June 11, 2022, at 86 years old.
What Makes a Car Special Enough for the Museum?
The museum has clear rules for which cars can join its collection. Here are the main rules:
- The car must be a sports car. This means it needs to have headlights and fenders.
- It must have a history of road racing. This means it raced on regular roads, not just on special tracks.
- The car needs to be important. It should be a "winner" known for great racing performance.
- The main parts of the car must be original. This includes the chassis (frame), engine, and body.
See the Cars in Action: Demonstration Days
The museum has a cool program called "Demonstration Days." This happens twice a month. During these days, several cars are moved to a large parking lot behind the museum.
First, there's a presentation about a special theme. Then, the museum's curator drives the cars! This lets visitors see and hear these amazing vehicles in action. After the driving show, guests can get closer to the cars. They can inspect them and take pictures.
The Museum's Library
The museum also has a library. It's full of old car books, documents, and sales brochures. Some of these go all the way back to 1892! This collection used to be stored in boxes in another building. It was moved to the museum's new library in 2013.
Because these materials are very old and delicate, the library is not open to the public.
Exploring the Exhibits and Collection
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum has 21 different exhibits. It has about 70 cars in its main collection. The cars are set up in order of when they were made. They are also placed in special scenes called "dioramas." These scenes show what famous racing places looked like.
Some of the famous racing places shown include Le Mans, Nürburgring, Sebring, Bonneville, Watkins Glen, Brooklands, Mille Miglia, and Targa Florio. People say the museum's collection is "one of the finest collections of rare and important racing sports cars in the world."
Almost every car in the collection still has its original body. Most of the cars can still be driven! The museum uses special aviation gasoline for these old cars. This fuel is more stable than regular gas. It also contains some lead, which is important for these older engines to run well.
List of Exhibits and Cars
| Exhibit name | Car(s) in exhibit |
|---|---|
| Endurance Trial |
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| Pre World War I Racing |
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| Automobile Racing Club of America |
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| Watkins Glen |
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| Bonneville Salt Flats |
|
| Brooklands Track |
|
| Timed Trials |
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| Hillclimb |
|
| Nürburgring |
|
| Match Race |
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| Targa Florio |
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| Mille Miglia |
|
| Rifornimento |
|
| Sporty Cars |
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| History of NASCAR |
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| Sebring |
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| Rally Racing |
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| Le Mans |
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| America's 1st International Win |
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| America at Le Mans |
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| Winner's Circle |
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Awards the Museum Has Won
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum has won several important awards:
- 2019: Ranked #1 among the Top 100 Classic Car Collectors.
- 2017: Won "Museum or Collection of the Year" at the International Historic Motoring Awards.
- 2014: The 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, a car from the museum, won "Car of the Year" at the International Historic Motoring Awards.
- 2014: The 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was the first car added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
- 2012: A book called "The Stewardship of Historically Important Automobiles" won "Publication of the Year."
- 2011: The museum itself won "Museum of the Year" at the International Historic Motoring Awards.
The Spirit of Competition Award
The main idea behind the museum is the "Spirit of Competition." This is also the name of an annual award. It's given to a person who has done great things in the world of motorsports.
Here are some people who have received this award:
- 2008: Mario Andretti
- 2009: Janet Guthrie
- 2010: John Fitch
- 2011: Craig Breedlove
- 2012: Sam Posey
- 2013: Hurley Haywood
- 2014: Bobby Rahal
- 2015: David Hobbs
- 2016: Peter Brock
- 2017: Derek Bell
- 2018: Roger Penske
