Automotive

ThomasM
[PuristS]
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Rich Harvest Farms - A world class automotive museum in the middle of a golf course?

I had heard rumours of a very significant collection of automobiles owned by one man, housed in a museum built in the middle of...a golf course?!? Like the Time Museum in the basement of a hotel in Chicago, this place was the stuff of whispers and bordered on legend - I didn't know if it was based on fact, or even existed at all.

One day I received a call from a good friend. "Thomas, you want to visit Rich Harvest when you come over? I'm a member at the golf club."

My friend didn't have to ask twice.

The story goes that Jerry Rich, a self made financial industry software tycoon, wanted to join a snooty east coast golf country club and was snubbed. So he decided to build one himself. Established in 1989, by 1999, Golf Digest named it the fifth best new private golf course in the US and in 2003, the course debuted in that magazine’s list of Top 100 American Golf Courses.  Such are the stuff with which legends are made.

 Jerry Rich also likes cars. Of all types. And shapes. And countries of origin. And to house those cars, he built a museum quality storage facility a short drive from the Rich Harvest Farms Golf Course club house, right on the golf course grounds.

Walking into the building, there is a large foyer that only hints at the treasures beyond.  Al Unser's 1992 Indy winning car. The Mello Yellow sponsored #51 Nascar stock car. Automotive history. Walking past the glass double doors, and Wow! Speechless.

 Eclectic or wide-ranging?

Watch enthusiasts ooh and aaah over finishing; the perlage on that dash plate would do any watchmaker proud...

under the category of "There ain't nothin' new under the sun..."

1902?!?

some stunning, and I mean stunning, vintage Vettes

a very nice Jag XKE with hardtop

more to come...including a very very rare prototype (when it was acquired, they didn't know it was a prototype!)

(not sure why, but I can only link medium sized pics :-(  )

Ferrari Row:

The coupe above is nice enough, but this Spyder below is very special - when Mr. Rich was negotiating to acquire it,

both seller and buyer assumed it was "just another Spyder."

It turns out the serial number indicated it was a prototype...nice surprise!

very nice interior!

Over in the garage section, where lifts are located and service is done on the vehicles in the collection, one finds...

and (yes, it is!)

Back out in the exhibition area, here's my favorite section - Lamborghini Row -

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