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Orange County’s Need for Speed

A Garage Full of Mustangs

The collection of Shelby Mustangs at Segerstrom Shelby Event Center

About six dozen Mustangs and Shelbys are on display at any one time at the Segerstrom Shelby Event Center in Irvine – including the 1,000 horsepower Mustang that could only be driven on a racetrack. The museum has just about every iteration of the Mustang.

But it’s not just the cars – the Segerstrom Shelby Event Center, which opened in 2021, also features antique gasoline pumps, Carroll Shelby memorabilia, neon signs, a display of vintage oil cans and spaces for private events, such as corporate parties and weddings.

Those seeking to tie the knot at the museum would have access to two suites – Thunderbird for the bride, Cobra for the groom – and a nearly 1,100-square-foot outdoor patio of 7,000-square-foot grand salon for the guests.

Segerstrom Shelby Event Center was founded by Ted and Rae Segerstrom, whose family owns South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

Hitler’s Mercedes-Benz in Poland

Bill Lyon at the Wheel of a 1967 Porsche 910

Automaker Mercedes-Benz made 57 G4 touring wagons for the German army between 1934 and 1939. One of those wagons – the G4 440875 – was delivered to Adolf Hitler in 1939.

That model, according to the Lyon Air Museum, where the car is currently on display, was used by Hitler in Berlin and Poland.

The eight cylinder 1939 G4 with four-speed transmission is one of a handful of automobiles and military vehicles on display.

Other vehicles include a 1940s era Helms Bakery truck, a 1939 Tempo by Oscar Vidal, a 1941 Dodge Half-Ton Command and Reconnaissance Truck, and two Ford GPW Military Jeeps.

You can also take in three World War II-era motorcycles, including a 1943 Japanese Rikuo Sidecar Motorcycle and 1945 Indian Motorcycle Chief.

Of course, the museum, located next to the runway at John Wayne Airport, also has several vintage airplanes like a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Douglas A-26 Invader.

The air museum was founded by General William Lyon, who launched Orange County-based homebuilder Lyon Homes. General Lyon also started his own private car collection, which his son, Bill Lyon, also maintains.

Buckle Up Tight in Tustin

1990s era Ferarris at Marconi Auto Museum

If speed is your thing, then you won’t be disappointed when you visit Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin.

Dick Marconi, who died last summer, was a Sports Car Club of America race car driver and Long Beach Grand Prix finisher. He opened Marconi Automotive Museum in 1994 and filled the building with high-performance street and race cars. Dick’s son, John Marconi, now runs the museum with his family.

There is a full row of Ferraris, a handful of American muscle cars (including a 600-plus horsepower Corvette), a DeLorean and several famous pieces of memorabilia from Hollywood – the Batmobile from the 1989 film “Batman,” the General Lee from “Dukes of Hazard” and the K.I.T.T. car from “Knight Rider.”

Also on display is a jacket Steve McQueen wore for his role in the 1971 racing film, “Le Mans.”

The displayed cars have been driven by some of the greatest racers in history, including Mario Andretti, Michael Schumacher and Aryton Senna.

Marconi Automotive Museum, in all, is home to more than 100 vehicles (Ferraris, Mini Coopers, Chevrolets, Lamborghinis) and motorcycles, worth more than $60 million.

60 Classics in Working Condition

1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat

Will Singleton has a new hobby that his children don’t quite understand: car collecting.

“My kids think I’ve gone crazy,” Singleton told the Business Journal in an article last year.

“It’s a great way to bring people in to appreciate the spirit of innovation.”

About three years ago, Singleton and his wife, Cary Singleton, bought a Costa Mesa building that previously hosted a collection owned by Donnie Crevier. The result is the Singleton Collection, a 35,000-square-foot facility that provides limited public access by appointment to 60 classic American vehicles, ranging from a 1908 Stanley to a 1970 Chevelle.

“We both really love American cars,” Cary Singleton said during a tour of the facility.
Will Singleton can discuss every one of the cars in the collection, such as the 1937 Packard, which just had its engine restored, saying it’s “a beautiful car, very smooth.” All the vehicles are in working condition.

“We drive all these cars,” Will Singleton said.

The Singletons were the winning bidder at an auction in Scottsdale last year when they purchased a 1912 Simplex Torpedo Tourer for $4.8 million.

They entered the Simplex, which has 50 horsepower, in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was nerve-wracking because the couple had to drive the windowless vehicle 50 miles from Pebble Beach to Big Sur and back.

They were rewarded with a second-place medal in antiques.

“It was fun to bring something home,” she said.

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Sonia Chung
Sonia Chung
Sonia Chung joined the Orange County Business Journal in 2021 as their Marketing Creative Director. In her role she creates all visual content as it relates to the marketing needs for the sales and events teams. Her responsibilities include the creation of marketing materials for six annual corporate events, weekly print advertisements, sales flyers in correspondence to the editorial calendar, social media graphics, PowerPoint presentation decks, e-blasts, and maintains the online presence for Orange County Business Journal’s corporate events.
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