Thursday, December 20, 2018

Ernie's cab, the original taxi from the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life" is on display at the AACA Museum


After filming, the iconic taxi was purchased and stored away, the owner planning on a restoration to its former condition that never happened. As the years went by, several buyers showed up at his door wanting to do right by the old car, but he refused to sell it, noting that he would one day get around to restoring it properly. Over 60 years later, the 82-year-old owner finally realized he was no longer able to do the restoration himself and he finally sold the car to the NB Center for American Automotive Heritage collection in 2008.

It belongs to the "Nicola Bulgari Center for American Automotive Heritage" which I've never heard of, but it's what was the America on Wheels Museum, which pulled off a 4 million dollar bank loan for construction, but, had no way to pay off that loan without selling the cars. Seems about par for our times we live in. Smoke and mirrors, and museums going out of business.

It's in Allentown, Pennsylvania, home to more than 150 of their own vehicles and the national laboratory for the Historic Vehicle Association.

Bulgari's Allentown-based group — Allentown Classic Motor Car Inc. - bought out the AOWM, or something like that, and kept it from going into bankruptcy and having the collection split up and auctioned off


Bulgari is the great-grandson of the founder of the Bulgari jewelry and fashion empire. Forbes magazine put him on its billionaires list for 2016, assigning him a net worth of $1.2 billion and listing him as Italy's 37th richest person.

Allentown Classic Motor Car's headquarters, newly christened The NB Center for Allentown Automotive Heritage, sits behind a massive wooden gate on the hilly 20-plus acre site of the former Boulevard Drive-In, on Union Boulevard near Coca-Cola Park, surrounded on all sides by wrought-iron fencing.

The facility, nearing completion, is overseen by Precision Motor Cars' Keith and Kris Flickinger and includes a driving track and multiple buildings where cars can be restored and displayed and parts stockpiled. It also houses the headquarters of the Historical Vehicle Association, a national group with 375,000 members that is developing a historical register for vehicles, and a sizable chunk of Bulgari's personal auto collection.

Traub and AEDC have been trying for more than a year to help the museum deal with the outstanding loan, which supplemented $12.5 million in state and federal grants used for construction. He said he's glad America on Wheels has been able to find a solution.

The museum's Front Street neighborhood could be turning into a draw for classic car types.

Al and Alex Ruozzi plan to move their RB Collection classic and exotic car restoration and dealership operation from Breinigsville to the 12,000-square-foot Klein Building, across from the museum at Front and Hamilton Streets.

https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/christmas-comes-to-the-aaca-museum-with-it-s-a/article_5c238f3e-02d9-11e9-bf8b-87fcac350696.html
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/12/19/aaca-museum-hosting-ernies-gmc-taxi-from-its-a-wonderful-life/
https://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-america-on-wheels-bulgari-20160525-story.html

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