The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia has won — for an unprecedented second time — the Octane award as the world’s best automotive museum in 2017.
“The Simeone Museum made room for new attractions including an AC Cars retrospective,” the British magazine said in its awards announcement, “but most impressive has been its commitment to inspiring the car enthusiasts of tomorrow.
“Teachers are invited to make use of the museum’s educational resources, and Demo Days, held twice a month, give visitors the opportunity to see the Museum’s cars in action and learn more about them.”
At the museum’s Demo Days, several of its cars are driven into the museum’s back parking lot where visitors can watch them being exercised.
The museum, which houses 65 significant racing sports cars, also won the award in 2011. In 2013, it won an Octane publication of the year award for its book, The Stewardship of Historically Important Automobiles, and in 2014, its 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was honored by Octane as the car of the year.
“Recognition by the esteemed (international panel of) judges of these awards is truly the highest honor to which an automotive museum can aspire,” said Fred Simeone, executive director of the museum. “Public museums such as ours strive to be relevant to the community, and to provide an experience which blends the history and excitement of motoring. This award is a great boost in helping us achieve that goal.”
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, was runner-up for the 2017 museum award.
Holiday spirit at LeMay Marymount
The LeMay Collection at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington, is doing a holiday project to help a disabled veteran. Museum volunteers are modifying a 1981 Chrysler Imperial New Yorker so it can be driven by a veteran with disabilities. The goal is to empower and re-connect a wounded veteran with their passion, the museum said, adding that the veteran getting the vehicle will be able to participate again in classic car shows.
Special events this weekend
The America on Wheels museum in Allentown Pennsylvania, opens its annual holiday train display today. The show continues through December 30.
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, stages its last auto flea market and car corral of the year Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Today and Saturday, the California Agriculture Museum at Woodland will rev the engines of its vintage tractors at noon. It also will stage its annual holiday light show spectacular.
Hands down Simeone is the best automotive museum in the country. It’s less than 3 miles from the Philadelphia airport. When visiting America’s most historic city, you must put it on your bucket list.
This is the best automotive museum I have ever visited. Each of the cars are a story in themselves, surrounded by several of the same type of car in an historically accurate display with video and posted descriptions of the cars and era. The quality of original and restored cars is exceptional, the stories about each car is educational and interesting to any motorhead and race fan of any type of car. This is definitely a worthy addition to everyone’s bucket list.