Car museum in Tupelo, MS to close: All cars to be sold

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But the Sun Valley, along with the other 177 vehicles in the museum, will be sold at auction in late April, never to be gathered under one roof again.

Spain made the bittersweet decision to sell the cars because, after 16 years, it was no longer sustainable to run the museum. Most importantly, she said it was time to do what the construction of the museum was meant to do – fund a charitable educational foundation Frank had envisioned.

Proceeds from the sale of the collection – whose value ranges from nearly $10 million to perhaps twice as much or even more – will go to the foundation.

“Every nickel will go toward it,” Jane said. “I’m not keeping any of it.”

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Some of the cars in the collection
Among the 178 cars at the museum are these collectibles and classics:

• 1886 Benz - a three-wheeled car powered by petrol and looking more like a buggy than a sedan.

• 1908 Glyde – The first in the industry to provide an independent mounting of the powerplant from the body for the purpose of isolating engine vibration from the seat for carrying passengers..

• 1918 Stanley Steamer – a steam-powered automobile that showed ingenuity, if not a love for danger.

• 1929 Dusenberg Model "J" – One of the most expensive cars in the exhibit, with a value of more than $1 million.

• 1948 Tucker – Ome of only 51 cars like this ever built and made famous by the movie "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," starring Jeff Bridges as the car's creator, Preston Tucker.

• 1957 Corvette – The Corvette was introduced in 1953 and has been in continuous production ever since. With ram-jet fuel injection this model produces 283 horsepower from its 283 cubic inch engine.

• 1983 Camarovette – half Camero, half Corvette, artfully painted and featuring a nitrous-oxide-injection booster for maximum speeds.

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