Mullin Automotive Museum Closing Forever in February

For the last 13 years, the Mullin Automotive Museum has been a steady presence in Southern California, showcasing 20th-century French automobiles and design. Housing the largest private collection of Bugatti automobiles in the world in its sprawling 47,000 square feet of Art Deco-styled exhibit space, the Mullin is a space unlike any other.

Sadly, founder Peter Mullin passed away at age 82 in September, and the museum announced Wednesday that it would close permanently in just a few short weeks. Four gorgeous classics have already been donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum nearby: a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 CS “Teardrop,” a 1938 Hispano Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia, a 1939 Delahaye 165, and the 1938 Delahaye 145.

Even among these four, it would be difficult to pick a favorite; I’m partial to the sweeping lines of the Delahaye examples. At the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last August, the 1939 Delahaye was recognized in the top four for best in show. The Petersen Automotive Museum, which has more than twice the floor space as the Mullin, will take good care of these rolling works of art. No word yet on the fate of the other vehicles in the collection.

While the museum was open only Fridays and Saturdays in recent years, it housed an incredible collection the likes of which we may never see again. Farewell, Mullin Automotive Museum.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car