Local auto museum selling off dozens of cars
Queen Elizabeth II’s Daimler DK400 Royal Limousine will be auctioned this weekend
(CNS): Around 45 cars from the Cayman Motor Museum are going under the hammer in Florida this weekend, according to organizers of the 13th annual Fort Lauderdale car auction. The museum opened in 2010 but it has been closed for several weeks. According to the museum’s website, the facility is undergoing renovations and will re-open in the winter. However, with more than half of the cars from the collection being sold off, it appears the West Bay tourist attraction may be going in a different direction.
The collection of around 80 cars and motor bikes belongs to wealthy Norwegian shipping magnate, Andreas Ugland, who now lives in Cayman. But questions sent to him via his office about the sell-off and changes to the museum have remained unanswered.
The collection includes a number of unusual and rare vehicles, including the ‘Batmobile’ featured in the original TV series, as well as a model of the first ever car in the Cayman Islands — a 1905 Cadillac — and the 1956 Daimler DK400 that was Queen Elizabeth II’s first limousine.
The Batmobile will be included in the sale this coming weekend and could fetch as much as $175,000. However, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe could raise as much as a half million dollars. A 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo, a 1905 Cupelle Two-Seater 8-hp touring classic car and a 1936 Harley Davidson motorcycle will also be up for grabs.
The cars have no reserve price, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, where they will be sold to the highest bidder.
Although there are few details available about what is happening at the West Bay attraction, located next to the Cayman Turtle Farm, the websites states that the renovation will allow the museum to display a greater selection of its core collection of motor vehicles.
“Increased gallery space will also allow for an integrated display of racing boats and associated historical memorabilia, while preserving the museum’s character, functional plan and its structural configuration,” it stated, adding that it will re-open at the end of this year.
However, the Facebook page has not been updated since 2012 and the last news item posted on the website refers to an event over two years ago.
The Batmobile will be auctioned this weekend
Category: Tourism, Uncategorized
How can they just sell off our heritage like this these cars belong to caymanians and its just wrong I was actually planning on going to see the cars in 2017 now I wont That will teach tem I say protest and boycott and get the little old ladies to picket & SUE
I think these 45 interesting cars will be replaced with some even more interesting cars that they own and are not currently on display.