Having previously been dazzled by our visit to the Larz Anderson House in Washington, D.C., we made a point of visiting the Larz Anderson Auto Museum during our stay in Brookline, Massachusetts. The museum houses the oldest collection of motorcars in the United States.
Larz and Isabel began their collection soon after they married, starting in 1899 with the purchase of a “horseless carriage” made by the Winton Motor Company. Over the rest of their lives they continued adding to their collection, purchasing more than 30 motorcars.
Just a little “carriage house.”
Inside the main gallery of the Carriage House. There were at least three floors and lots of rooms. Back in the day it included staff living quarters and a repair shop!
As their cars became obsolete, the Andersons “retired” them to their Carriage House on their 64-acre estate. In 1927 they opened it to the public for tours. Upon their deaths, the entire estate was donated to the town of Brookline, with a stipulation for the creation of the “Larz Anderson Collection.”
The mansion fell into disrepair and was deemed too expensive to save, so was torn down in the 1950s. The Carriage House is itself an architectural gem, built in 1888 with its design “heavily influenced” by the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire in France. It makes you wonder what the mansion must have been like!
The cover photo is a 1948 Pontiac Streamliner Woodie.
1956 Jaguar XK140 MC.
1957 Chrysler 300C.
1957 Porsche 356A. The 356 was the first car to carry the Porsche family name. I love the suitcase strapped on back – it’s totally a family car!
1951 Rover 75 P4 Cyclops.
Fiat 500 Giardiniera and Trailer. A “compact, lightweight economy car, perfect for tackling the narrow city streets of Europe.” Unbelievably, this tiny car can tow that trailer, making very tempting for Doug and I, were we not to worry about Doug’s ability to fit in it.
1960 Cadillac Flat Top. Doug was very impressed with the wraparound rear window. At 20 feet in length, this bad-boy is ready to take on our 24-foot-van!
1954 Humber Super Snipe. This car was specifically designed to chauffeur Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip on the 1953-1954 Commonwealth Royal Tour. Six convertibles and twenty limousines were purchased for the tour, with this specific car used for the Sri Lanka leg. I just like saying Super Snipe.
1941 Cadillac Series 62.
1963 Fiat 600 Multipla. The three rows of seating were designed with families in mind, but it was commonly used as a taxi cab in Europe.
1906 CGV. This Charron-Girodot Et Voight vehicle was designed for long journeys: the rear seat converted to a bed, and there’s a toilet and wash basin! This was the Anderson’s most expensive vehicle at $23,000 in 1906 dollars! Check out the headlights!
by 
