Visit to the Martin Auto Museum

Tuesday 10th January - 2023

It's about time that I sat down to scribe a decent blog to all my loyal followers, it has been quite some time since I have written an informative article on my travels since returning from my 3-month extravaganza in Great Britain last year.

Today is one of those days that I can sit here & tell you all about my visit this week, to the Mel Martin Auto Museum here in Glendale, in Phoenix just a quick hop, skip & a jump from the San Tan Mobile Village here in Chandler, where I live.

Mel Martin's immaculate 1965 Shelby AC Cobra

Today’s tour was brought about by my Model A Ford Restorers Club of Arizona of which I have been a member for 13-years.

It is really great to have a story that I can get my teeth into once again instead of telling you boring old stuff like working on my vehicles for the past 3-weeks preparing them for sale.

The Cobra's dash is personally autographed by legendary
automotive designer and entrepreneur, Carroll Shelby 

Instead of getting grease under my fingernails, skinned & bleeding knuckles. I decided that today was a leisure day, down with the tools off with the overalls & on with the my smart casual clothes that you are all aware of to enjoy a day with twenty of my colleagues from the Arizona Model A Car Club.

Established in 2008, the Martin Auto Museum is the brainchild of owner & founder Mel Martin, an Iowa-born real estate developer, (see photo of Mel & myself). Mel’s passion is sharing his collection that represents significant periods of time in automotive history.

The Museum features more than 170 vehicles, including classic cars, hot rods, customs, imports, & much more. It also has one of the largest collections of auto memorabilia, antique gas pumps, & signage anywhere in the world.

The aptly named

1951 Ford Country “Squire” Wagon

Mel’s goal is to protect & preserve their fine automobiles & collectibles for the enjoyment & education of future generations as is our similar goal with our Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car show every year in the Sutherland Shire in Australia.

A trip to the Martin Auto Museum wouldn’t be complete without taking some photos of their vehicles.

Yes, I did just that & was very fortunate to meet the man himself & he was kind enough to spend some time with me to tell me all about the Museum, how he made his fortune & he is a complete petrol head just like the rest of us, only with a lot more of that folding stuff.

Museum owner & founder Mel Martin and myself in
front of his pristine 1965 Shelby AC Cobra

Mel is 92-years old, (see photo above) and he's still as sharp as a razor blade. He made his fortune out of Real Estate, as you do. The Museum recently relocated to an old Supermarket building that works sensationally for a Auto Museum and Event Center.

Mel’s 1965 Shelby AC Cobra if you can believe it, which I do, has the sum total of 6 original miles or 9.6 kms on the clock, the dash is personally autographed (see photo) by none other than the legendary automotive designer and entrepreneur, Carroll Shelby himself. Can you just imagine how much this highly collectable and rare gem would be worth? this vehicle would be priceless.

Mel also told me the story behind his 1917 Douglas Dump Truck (see photo below) he was very amused when I told him that we call these trucks in Australia Tipper Trucks.

Mel's personal 1917 Douglas Dump Truck, the 
first vehicle Mel ever purchased

This Dump Truck was his first vehicle that Mel purchased when he was a hairy arsed kid at 16-years old. The Douglas was a fully workable workhorse when he was a youth, check out the solid rubber tyres. The truck was used in mining Onyx in Arizona.

You know what, I have to try & keep this email short, or else it is going to end up like War & Peace & I sure a hell do not want you to get bored with my ramblings.

There are a couple of other vehicles that I would like to tell you about, however I will start off with the 1930 Duesenberg, Model J Torpedo, Convertible Boat-Tailed Speedster (see photo below). This is one magnificent motor vehicle. 

Back in the ‘30s the Doozy's, as they were nicknamed, were the preferred choice of wheels chosen by all the movie stars in Hollywood & I sure can see why. If you want to make an impression on someone this is definitely the vehicle to do just that.

1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible boat-tailed Speedster
Once the preferred car of the Hollywood jet set

Henry Ford with his 1930 Model A Ford did not cut the ice, trust me.

This next vehicle really tickled my fancy, I wonder if you can work out why! Check out the 1951 Ford Country “Squire” Wagon.

As you can see I have only talked about four motor vehicles in this report, there are another 170 classics on display in this truly sensational Martin Auto Museum, if you are still interested you can always Google martinautomuseum.com & browse through their site, well worth the effort. I am sure that you will find vehicles that turn you on, unfortunately I don’t have the space to cover everything in my blog.

Proudly wearing my Arizona Model name badge on the day.

I have been a member for 13-years.

Tomorrow it looks like I am back on the tools again, there is no rest for the wicked you know. My RV has top priority this week, I am waiting on a gear shift cable that I am having made in Virginia, it won’t arrive here in Arizona until Tuesday or Wednesday this week. 

Until then I really can’t drive it because I cannot select the gears & when you can’t select the transmission into forward or reverse the big V-10 Chevy engine ain’t going anywhere. Once I have the RV mobile l can then drive the old girl to have the emission's test done & then re-register the sucker.

Here in Arizona, testing is required in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, where ozone and particulate matter pollution are a problem. You cannot sell a vehicle unless it has passed the emission's test. 

Part of our Arizona Model As group's vehicles outside the

Martin Auto Museum in Glendale, Arizona

Then next week l will be able to display the RV out the front of the San Tan Mobile Village overlooking the very busy Gilbert Road then hopefully jag some passer-byer to purchase my 33ft RV. Please keep your fingers crossed for the 'Squire' from the Shire to sell my RV that I have criss-crossed America in over the past 12-years.

l will keep you all up to date with any developments, for now, that is my live report from Arizona, hope that you have enjoyed the story.

Stay safe and Cheers for now from your wandering 'Squire' in the USA.

Warbo