Auto Museum Report: The Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park, Part 2 – Second Verse Different Than The First

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– Posted on October 11, 2024

Reporting on a museum having 2,000 vehicles is tough.  The ongoing decision of what to show, what to say, and trying to keep a neutral tone made Part 1 fun, but not straightforward, to prepare.

So let’s move on to Part 2 which will have more editorial commentary.

In Part 1, pictures were presented in the order taken.  That is not the case for Part 2.

When a person walks in the front door seen in the first picture, the entrance to the museum itself is about twenty feet straight ahead.  The entrance aisle has a row of cars on either side before leading one straight to the obnoxious stretched Cadillac featured in Part 1.

The variety in this aisle is remarkable, which features this delightful Nash.

And this incredible Duesenberg…

Once inside, and past the 100 foot long Cadillac, there were other delights to be found, such as this room:

Yes, it is the Chrysler Lounge, proof Chryslers are special as there was no GM or Ford exclusive room here.  However, another American brand had its own dedicated room, but we’ll get to that.

There isn’t a dud in this bunch.  Even the very plain, base model 1964 Newport sitting in the back corner, out of camera range, was amazing.

With the various rooms of the museum, several were dedicated to pre-war iron.  Cars of this age generally have less appeal over time yet they are a key element of our automotive history.  We don’t see them often, so let’s take a look.

A 1931 Chevrolet.

While the sign says “1940 Graham Hollywood”, this isn’t.  This car was not labelled but it appears to be a Cord.

This is the 1940 Graham Hollywood mentioned in the prior picture.  This Graham used the Cord body shell.

Also using the Cord body shell was this 1940 Hubmobile Skylark.

A 1936 or 1937 Cadillac V12.  As with so many other cars, there was nothing to indicate to patrons what they were looking at.  Oldcarbrochures.com shows mostly LaSalles (Cadillac’s lower tiered sister brand) for this era, so I’m taking a stab at this.  An image search has me torn between the two stated years.

Frankly, since there is undoubtedly documentation for every car here, how hard could it be to label them in some fashion?  Some were, but many weren’t.

Here’s a closer look at the engine compartment.

A Chrysler Airflow.

Another Chrysler.

A 1939 Cadillac.

LaSalle, undoubtedly from the late 1920s.

1936 Dodge.

Late 1920s or early 1930s Buick.

1937 Buick.

1941 Cadillac.

Remember only one other brand having its own dedicated room?  Let’s mosey over the South Bend offerings…

In Part 1, there were a fair number of “movie” cars featured.  That was simply due to my having used two cameras during my visit and using only pictures from the first.  All the pictures in Part 2 were from the second camera and, like the museum itself, it is Chrysler heavy.  So here’s a few more.  The immediate post-war era Chrysler products are not often seen in museums, but such is not the case here…

The scope and magnitude of the Orlando Auto Museum is hard to describe.  While Part 1 featured the “movie” cars, which perhaps helped form the opinions expressed in the comments of Part 1, those were but a small portion of the overall museum.  Sadly, those cars were given more space, particularly the separate exhibit of cars from the various James Bond movies.

I say sadly due to the display of military vehicles, apart from two tanks, being crammed together into one room.  To me, military vehicles have infinitely more relevance than something from a movie.  These military vehicles came from all over Europe plus the United States.  So let’s take a look.

According to information presented, which was often suspect but seemed better presented in this case, this particular DUKW was assigned to the 818th Amphibious Truck Company.  The 818th was an African American unit during World War II.  The 818th, along with this particular DUKW, was part of the Utah Beach landings on June 6, 1944.

Further information can be seen in this picture.  Click to enlarge.

One could easily experience sensory overload at this museum and quickly grow numb to the variety of offerings.  That is understandable.  So to prevent that, let’s start winding down.

It is rare to see a Frazer in most auto museums.

Similarly, one is hard pressed to find an unmolested Henry J anywhere.

Seeing a 1960 Edsel anywhere is a treat.

Finding a 1959 Edsel, even if the one on the right is a wagon, is a less remarkable event.

Did I mention the museum is delightfully Chrysler heavy?

They even give a first hand lesson about the differences between the 1960 Dodge and Dart line.

I still can’t remember which is which.

In short, there is a lot to see here.  Is there some crap on display?  Absolutely.  The supposed movie cars, the stretch Cadillac, and some others I did not show don’t do the place any favors.

Does one really want to see a customized 1956 Cadillac with a plastic Marilyn Monroe spilling out?  I don’t.

However, like most things in life, one needs to filter through things.  The museum is in Orlando, Florida, thus it aims itself toward tourists.  The target for that market is expansive.  Expansive is also the best word to describe the Orlando Auto Museum.  They have things one simply will not see anywhere else.

They even have so many cars, they have to display them on shelves.

There is enough here that one can easily skip whatever they don’t care for and still see an immense amount.  Overall my biggest qualm is the general lack of information about what one is looking at or, in some cases, the presented information simply being wrong.  That makes it tough and detracts from the experience.

While I have not graded museums before (perhaps I should have), the Orlando Auto Museum gets a solid B.  Some of the finer points I have expressed, along with the tacky factor of some specific exhibits like the Marilyn Cadillac and the questionable “movie” cars, forms that grade.

Despite that, if one is in Orlando, I do recommend visiting.

 

Footnote:  As I type this on October 6, Hurricane Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is heading toward Florida.  Orlando is in its path.  This hurricane is forecast to be a Category 4, with a 5 being the worst.  Update:  As of October 8, Milton is a Category 5 and will have just blown through Orlando at the time of publication.  For those living in Florida, I hope none of the worst-case scenarios happen.