A 1938 Bugatti and a 1955 Alfa Romeo greet visitors in the lobby of the giant jewel box of a building, the glass and granite architecture perfect for showcasing the precious metals within. A visit can be completed in an hour, but some may want to linger over a gem or two.
Best Car Show in California
Like the Concours D'Elegance at Pebble Beach, the Blackhawk Museum shows the rarest and most historic cars in automobile history. The first floor houses vehicles produced in the latter half of the twentieth century and the second floor exhibits the earliest automobiles. Cars are thoughtfully arranged, with similar models grouped together, like the Corvettes, Aston Martins, Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lincoln Towne Cars.
One of the most significant cars ever created resides on the second floor. Karl Benz of Germany patented the Motorwagen and built his 1886 Benz, the first commercially sold automobile. Benz based his design on the bicycle and described it as an "automobile fueled by gas." A 1913 Bugatti, a 1928 white and cream Mercedes Benz Model S with exposed exhaust piping on the sides, and Italy's most aristocratic car, a 1931 Isotta Fraschini with a flashy grille, are also among the many impressive offerings.
The second floor has the first Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost ever built (1911), a 1924 Hispano-Suiza that is an aerodynamically shaped car with a wooden body and copper wheels and trim, and a 1926 Daimler once owned by the Maharajah of Rewa of India. Seats for servants are on the exterior near the rear wheels and horns made of chrome snakes hiss above the fenders. This car had an interesting life as it was once abandoned deep in the jungle and had to be brought back to civilization by elephants.
Fine craft work like hood ornaments, emblems, and styling indicate the cars are an elevated form of functional art, beautiful to behold while also serving as transportation for their owners. A crystal peacock head perches as a hood ornament on a 1934 Delage and a Plymouth Roadster is playfully designed after the Road Runner cartoon character. A Volkswagen Van from the 1960's is decked out for a camping trip, ready for hippies to climb aboard.
The Blackhawk Museum is a must-see for classic car lovers, and it is not too far from San Francisco. It is part of the upscale shopping mall Blackhawk Plaza, and located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, California 94506, phone (925)736-2280. Museum hours are Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 am. to 5 pm.
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