Non Profit Organisation
The Marconi Automotive Museum is a non-profit organisation that through its activities
supports the Marconi Foundation For Kids, that assists numerous children’s charities
with financial support. The foundation was started by the museum founder and owner,
Dick Marconi, in 1994 based on a philosophy imparted by his father – ”Learn, Earn,
Return”. Having done the first, and succeeded in the second, he decided that it was time
to complete the third phase, hence the incorporation of the charity foundation. The
museum is open for public tours by appointment only, as it is also hired out as function
centre for corporate and private gatherings, thus it is necessary to check that there is
nothing in progress at the time of a proposed visit. All proceeds from these activities are
channelled to the foundation for charitable use. For each visitor a very reasonable request
of $5 is made as a donation to the charity.
Classic Cornucopia
The museum houses a very broad range of motoring history, with no set period or theme,
which provides a wide spectrum of vehicles to enjoy, from a 1937 Ahren Fox fire engine to
a wall mounted dragster, with plenty of diversity in between. There are seventy cars in the
collection displayed in the main museum area and workshop, along with ten motorcycles
in the verandah room at the front of the building.
One of the star exhibits is a 1996 F310 F1 Ferrari of the type raced by Michael
Schumacher, which is displayed alongside an ex-Damon Hill Williams FW17-04 loaned
by Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd. Other single seater models include the Lola T-
9300 Indy car in which Mario Andretti scored his last victory, plus a 1988 ex-Ayrton Senna
McLaren Honda F1 car and a Kimberley-Cooper Special.
If muscle cars are your thing then you will love the lurid orange Ford Mustangs,
alternatively you can opt for the chrome on the 1956 Cadillac Eldorado, or that classic
fifties Teutonic beauty – the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing coupe. There is also an extremely
rare example of a Cizeta Moroder, in a menacing black paint scheme, this one fitted with
a Ferrari Testarossa engine, or how about a Jaguar XJ 220, a Maserati Bora or De
Tomaso Pantera amongst the other high performance cars on show.
Fantasy Ferraris
Within the museum collection there are no less than nineteen Ferrari models, the earliest
being a 166 Inter Touring bodied coupe, and the most recent examples being a pair of
F50s, with pairs of Dinos and 348 Challenge cars along the way. The rarest are a pair of
custom built cars by Pininfarina that were originally destined for Prince Jeffri, brother of
the Sultan of Brunei. One is an elegant 456 GT Venezia cabriolet finished in a deep
metallic green with complimentary green leather interior, and the other is the stunning
F512 M based FX, which is finished a deep metallic blue. The only thing on the body that it
shares with its standard cousin is the windshield, all other glass and body panels being
completely different, the construction costs must have been astronomical!
If you are ever in Los Angeles then the museum should definitely be on your list of places
to visit. It is about a 30-45 minute drive south of LAX airport, dependant upon traffic
conditions, close to John Wayne Airport just off Interstate 55. more >>>
Location
1302 Industrial Drive, Tustin, California
Opening Hours
09-30 to 16-00 Monday to Friday – BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Excluding Public Holidays
Entry Fee
$5 Charitable Donation
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