There are moments in time when a car collection is put together in a way that truly takes your breath away and this could very well be considered one of the 8th wonders of the automotive museum world.

1. GREAT CARS
— BEHIND THE —
GREAT WALL
“So many deeds cry out to be done,
and always urgently: the world rolls
on, time presses. Ten thousand
years are too long, seize the day,
seize the hour!” - Mao Tse-Tung
Story and Photos by Mark Dvornik
1967 Jaguar E-type

2. There are moments in time when a
collection is put together in a way
that truly takes your breath away.
The Shanghai Auto Museum in
China might very well be considered
one of the eight wonders of the car
museum world.
The cars in the museum sparkle
under perfect showroom lighting,
and visitors are treated to many
special exhibits. It is evident
from the moment you enter the
museum that a lot of thought has
been given to the visitors and their
experience. According to Ms. Zhu,
Director of Communication for
the museum, the Shanghai Auto
Museum “tells people an objective
auto history through the classic
vintage automobiles created with
the development of industry in the
past one hundred years.”
The Shanghai Auto museum
opened with over 300,000
square feet of exhibition space
for the public to roam and
enjoy. Since the opening, Ms Zhu
says, “the museum has received
over 500,000 domestic and foreign
1959 Pontiac Bonneville
1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Veloce
1904 Oldsmobile Curved Dash
1960 BMW Isetta 300
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3. visitors.” Nestled on the outskirts
of Shanghai and adjacent to the
Shanghai Auto Expo Park, the
stunning design boasts gorgeous
flowing curves that symbolize the
trajectory of vehicles at high speed.
The Great Wall in China dates back
thousands of years, so anything
built even a few centuries ago is
considered new by comparison.
Marking the first specialty museum
of its kind in China, the museum
pays tribute to the automobile and
its evolution, leaving visitors with
a searing wonder of what is yet to
come in the industry. Four sections
smartlydividethemuseum:history,
antique car, exploration and
temporary exhibitions. Eighty cars
span over 100 years of automobile
history in Shanghai, the first city in
China to have automobiles.
The knowledgeable staff greets
visitors with cheer and genuine
excitement. Eager to interact, the
Chinese enjoy western culture.
They are proud to offer the world
their homage to an industry that
is so American, celebrating its
contribution to style, class, and
elegance in the car world.
The public can enjoy over 300,000 square feet of exhibition space.

5. Since automobiles were first
introduced, there has been over a
century of innovation and design.
Before the birth of the automobile,
both in China and abroad, horses
were used by humans to successfully
move great distances and transact
business with actual horsepower.
The transformation from horse
and carriage to automobiles is
perfectly displayed and beautifully
documented throughout the
Shanghai Auto Museum.
The first display, an 1886 Benz
Tricycle, is the first piece that
proves the Chinese understand the
importance of Karl Benz. In 1885,
Benz installed a single cylinder
4-stroke gasoline engine on a simple
5

6. frame of three wheels featuring steel
wheel rims and solid rubber tire,
running at a speed of 1.5 kilometers
per hour. And on January 29, 1886,
Karl Benz applied for a patent on
his legendary car, making it widely
regarded as the first automobile in
the world.
But this is just the beginning of
the signature pieces on
display. In 1902, Peugeot started to
manufacture automobiles in
France, growing the company over
time to be known as one of the
greatest innovators in automobile
history. In fact, Peugeot was the
very first to use its experimental
rubber tire that had been
developed by Michelin. Peugeot
39 two-seaters were made in 1902
with a four-cylinder engine placed
in the front with a tilt steering
wheel, similar to many modern
day cars.
Visitors will also experience a
spectacular, black Curved Dash
Oldsmobile made between 1901
and 1904. Incredibly, 425 were
produced in the first year making
it the first American made car to
produce in quantity. With a single
cylinder engine, this car ran with 7
horsepower at 40 kilometers per
hour, carrying two passengers.
As tour continued, discovered a
spectacular Ford Model S car
established in 1903. That’s right a
Ford Model S, not a Ford Model T.
During the first five years, Henry Ford
and his engineers made nineteen
different car models, naming each
model in alphabetical order. The
museum spared no expense in
cherry picking some important
1957 Cadillac Series 62
A deconstructed vehicle hangs overhead, inviting
visitors to experience the 3D anatomy of the car.

7. models to demonstrate the
evolution of the Ford.
In the early days of automobile
making, each car was unique
with its own parts that could
not be used on any other car. In
order to promote efficiency and
reusability, the manufacturer
decided to standardize, so that
parts could be used for any car of
the same model. The American
Cadillac Model M was among the
first to be standardized.
Butnottobeleftout,theShanghai
Auto Museum proudly displays
a Ford Model T. The Ford Model
T started its production run on
October 1908 becoming the first
car made by the assembly. The
selling price was lower than
$300 enabling ordinary families
to buy cars, promoting America
as a country behind the wheel.
Within 19 years, the sale volume
of Model T reached more than 15
million.
When you walk into the main
atrium of the museum, you see
the spectacular Heine-Velox V12,
a dream of Gustav Heine who
invested the money he made
in the piano business to build a
luxury vehicle. The $25,000 price
tag made it twice as costly as
a Rolls- Royce of the time. The
Heine-Velox V 12 is considered
the first US automobile in history
to use a 4 wheel hydraulic
braking system.
1907 Cadillac Model M Touring Car.
1950 Ford Club Coupe
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8. SINCE
AUTOMOBILES
WERE FIRST
INTRODUCED,
THERE HAS BEEN
OVERA CENTURY
OF INNOVATION
AND DESIGN
THE TRANSFORMATION FROM
HORSE AND CARRIAGE TO
AUTOMOBILES IS PERFECTLY
DISPLAYED AND BEAUTIFULLY
DOCUMENTED THROUGHOUT
THE SHANGHAI AUTO MUSEUM.

9. Spectacular cars from the 1930’s
include the BMW 319, the Chevrolet
Suburban, a Ford Model A and a
Buick Century 16. However the
Rolls- Royce Phantom III dominates
the Shanghai Auto Museum floor.
Mounted with a V12 engine, this
surprising Rolls-Royce has 180
horsepower. That’s right, 180
horsepower in the 1930’s. But the
performance was as amazing as its
interior with a walnut dashboard and
a pure wool rug extended into the
trunk.
Moving through time in the museum,
you’ll encounter a red Maserati EBS
from Italy, affectionately known
as the “battleship” of the time. A
long hood with a powerful straight
6 cylinder engine underneath,
the Maserati EBS won the 1948
International Formula Grand Prix
held by the Silverstone circuit in
England.
Cars from the 50’s and 60’s especially
warm the “Tail Fins and Chrome
heart,” and a beautiful 1959 Pontiac
Bonneville featured in the museum is
no exception. The Bonneville played
an important part in introducing the
greatest marketing inspirations: the
split grill. The model on display in
the museum has a luxurious trim
with tri tone leather chair seats and
a shiny chrome instrument panel.
With a 6.4 liter V8 engine output
to 260 horsepower, the Pontiac
Bonneville was awarded Car of the
Year by the automotive media.
With only 206 produced, the 1959
Hongqi CA72 was the first work
automobile. Although the car design
was influenced by foreign car types,
the CA 72 also has many Chinese
elements. If you look closely, you’ll
see the tail was designed to mimic
the shape of the Chinese folding
fan. The whole car looks beautiful,
majestic and truly gorgeous, but
the inner and the outer designs and
decorations have the splendor of
Chinese style.
The Shanghai Auto Museum does a

10. spectacular job of showcasing the integration of engineering
as art. The exploration section incorporates the latest of
technology and human creativity. In it, you’ll find an entire
automobile in pieces, suspended in a stationary mobile.
The deconstructed car hangs overhead, inviting a moment
of scientific exploration as you experience the 3D anatomy
of the car.
No collection would be complete without the American
icon: the Cadillac Series 62. Parked in China’s Graceland to
cars, the Shanghai Auto Museum, is a beautiful 1957 Pink
Cadillac. For that model year, Cadillac updated all their
models in this series, equipping them with a V8 6.0 L engine
and a massive 300HP. The chassis was a new “X-Frame,”
increasing the strength and rigidity of the body.
There’s so much to explore and experience at the Shanghai
Auto Museum. Ms. Zhu says, “Visitors will be fascinated by
the charm of the auto culture with the exhibits of any brand
from any country.”
And if you love cars, there is no better place to put on your
international must-see museum list than The Shanghai
Auto Museum. For they truly have great cars behind their
Great Wall.•••
1974 Hongqi CA770
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