Harold “Lucky” LeMay and wife Nancy in their 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe. Photo by Posson Sculpture/Steven John Posson.
As a young man, Harold LeMay’s nickname was “Lucky,” and he was fond of the saying “It takes a lot of hard work to be lucky.” During his lifetime, Harold was “lucky” enough to fulfill the fantasy of every hardcore car guy: he amassed a collection of over 3,000 vehicles, buying whatever struck his fancy and fit his budget. This varied automotive enthusiasm led Harold’s wife Nancy to once quip that her husband “never met a car he didn’t like.”
In 1997, the same year their compilation earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, Harold and Nancy set out to make certain it did not meet the same fate as that of casino owner Bill Harrah’s, which was broken up after his passing. The fruition of those efforts was America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, which was built around Harold’s collection.
Since ACM opened its doors in 2012, it has featured multiple changing exhibits, but now it has announced its first permanent exhibit: Lucky’s Garage. Lucky’s Garage hearkens back to the spirit of Harold and Nancy’s Annual Car Show and Open House, and is designed to recall the LeMay homestead in Spanaway, Washington.
True to Harold’s varied interest, Lucky’s Garage, which opens August 28, will contain 50 treasured vehicles from his collection, including a 1947 Cadillac Series 62 2-Door Convertible, a 1922 Ford Model T Touring, a 1930 Packard 740 Custom Super Eight Convertible, a 1933 Hupmobile Series I-326 and a 1953 Kaiser Dragon.
In addition to ACM, other parts of Harold personal trove, such as dolls, toys, antiques, farm equipment and additional vehicles, are contained in the LeMay Family Collection at the Marymount Event Center, a few miles from ACM. The opening of Lucky’s Garage is intended to coincide with the 38th Annual LeMay Car Show car show and auction on August 29 at the LeMay Family Collection.
For more information on Lucky’s Garage, visit AmericasCarMuseum.org.
More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com
