It’s been more than a few years now since we last visited a vintage car museum. It was the last time we were in Monaco when our son worked there. It was over the Christmas holidays, and we had a few empty hours. Although we’d visited the tiny principality many times (because of the aforementioned son), we had never visited the car museum.

Owned by Prince Albert of Monaco, that museum featured a nice collection of cars (see above), including one that had been owned by his mother, Princess Grace. We were impressed with this museum until this summer. It pales in comparison to where we were on our summer vacation.

In a tiny spot called Swift Current Newfoundland, there is a collection of over sixty of the most extraordinary vintage automobiles, meticulously restored. How did we even get there?

As we love to do, when we decided to visit Newfoundland this year for our summer holiday, we booked a private tour (more about that in the next post). The weather in Newfoundland can be changeable, to say the least, but we experienced mostly spectacular weather until the final day of our tour. It rained. Our private guide called a friend, and the next thing we knew, we were being treated to a private tour at Vernon’s Antique Car Museum. Owned by a private collector, the cars have won awards from some of North America’s most prestigious car shows, including Amelia Island Concours, Meadowbrook Concours and Pebble Beach—and with good reason. They are spectacular.

The collection includes beautifully restored models from a 1908 Buick Model 10 to 1970 muscle cars with something for everyone. The collection even includes a rare specimen of an amphibious car—a design that never really took off.

[We’re pretty sure you only get to sit in them on a private tour!]

What struck us the most were some examples of early auto technology that faded away only to return in recent years as if they were new ideas. The push-button start was but one. And what about that bar in the glove compartment? Well, it might not be practical these days, but you must admit it was a pretty innovative idea!

One of the things that strikes modern car owners the most (especially us) is how well-designed the interiors were. There was a time when the interior aesthetic reflected the exterior. These days, we have to work hard to get our cream-coloured interior instead of the ubiquitous black.

For anyone of a certain age, there is a lot of bling and a whole lot of nostalgia. We defy you not to discover at least one car someone in your family owned back in the day. It made for a wonderful morning. You never know where your travels will take you!

Join us for our private visit and hear Vernon, the owner, share his extensive knowledge about his vehicles. Happy driving!

Visit Vernon’s online at https://www.vernonsantiquecarmuseum.ca/home.