Information
Landmark: Tupelo Automobile MuseumCity: Tupelo
Country: USA Mississippi
Continent: North America
Tupelo Automobile Museum, Tupelo, USA Mississippi, North America
Overview
Once a top draw for car lovers in Tupelo, Mississippi, the Tupelo Automobile Museum earned its reputation with more than 150 classic and rare vehicles, from gleaming chrome roadsters to century-old touring cars.Frank K., a broadcast entrepreneur, founded it in 2002, back when radio boards still hummed with static.In 2003, Mississippi officially named the museum in Spain its state automobile museum, a place where polished chrome gleams under bright lights.Spain started collecting cars in 1974 and built a vibrant mix of vehicles, from gleaming chrome classics to sleek modern designs, tracing the full arc of automotive history.After he died in 2006, his wife, Jane Spain, kept the museum running-dusting display cases and greeting visitors-until it finally closed in 2019.Museum HighlightsInside its sprawling 120,000-square-foot space, the museum showcased everything from a gleaming replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen No. 1 to Elvis Presley’s white 1976 Lincoln Mark IV.Visitors could wander past the quirky 1899 Knox Voiturette “Old Porcupine,” the 1902 Oldsmobile Curved Dash, the rare 1948 Tucker 48, and the silver 1963 Leslie Special from *The Great Race*.Duesenbergs, Hispano-Suizas, and Packards stood polished and proud, each one placed in precise chronological order-a walk through time on four wheels.The museum showcased an impressive trove of automobilia-vintage gas pumps with chipped red paint, old roadside signs, and a host of other nostalgic treasures.In December 2018, news broke that the museum would shut its doors in March 2019, and every piece-down to the worn wooden display cases-would go under the auction hammer.Bonhams ran the auction on April 26 and 27, 2019, showcasing 174 vehicles and 330 pieces of automobilia, including a gleaming chrome hood ornament.The star of the auction was a gleaming 1948 Tucker 48, hammering down at just under $2 million.Every dollar went straight to educational charities, funding books, supplies, and other learning essentials.Though its doors are closed, the Tupelo Automobile Museum still holds a place in Mississippi’s cultural history, like the gleam of chrome under showroom lights.The museum’s vast collection, paired with its dedication to safeguarding automotive history, left a lasting impression on visitors-some still recall the gleam of a 1965 Mustang under the lights.
