The coronavirus pandemic that shut the world down in 2020 couldn't have come at a worse time for many businesses that had just opened in the new year and then faced an unknown period of closed doors, hesitant customers, and insecure supply chains. In the automotive industry, major manufacturers were forced to shutter factories and dealerships, while annual enthusiast events like the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance got canceled and museums like the Petersen in Los Angeles also turned away the public. Much like the Petersen, a new destination called The Brumos Collection had to endure a lockdown—after only opening in January 2020. Now, in advance of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, The Brumos Collection has announced it will reopen to the general public on January 21 with a host of safety precautions in place and the exciting addition of two historically significant cars to the showroom's exhibit.
1923 Locomobile Model 48 Series 8 Sportif
This Locomobile Model 48 Series 8 Sportif may be relatively unknown to even the most ardent American automotive aficionado, but according to The Brumos Collection, during the Roaring Twenties, Locomobile's products were recognized as "The Best-Built Car in America." Locomobile as a company began by selling steam cars in 1899 before switching to internal combustion in 1903. By 1922, the firm was taken over by Durant Motors—yes, as in early General Motors CEO William Durant. The example now being added to The Brumos Collection sits in unrestored, original condition after having been driven by its original owner for three decades.
Bugatti's Best Racer
The Bugatti Type 35 should need no such introduction as a Locomobile, being arguably the most successful racecar of all time. The Brumos Collection will officially add this 1925 example to the showroom after undertaking an extensive refurbishment on the car that involved stripping it to nuts and bolts, as documented in a YouTube video released as part of The Brumos Collection's "Inside The 59" series that allows automotive enthusiasts an inside look at some incredible cars while the facility was shut down during most of 2020.
For the reopening, The Brumos Collection will be limiting guest entries, mandating face coverings and social distancing, providing sanitizing stations, and enforcing social distancing practices. All guests will also receive a Brumos-branded stylus to use at vehicle information touch-screen kiosks in the hopes of avoiding virus transmission. Don't expect to get to visit on race day, however, as The Brumos Collection will be closed given that any gearheads visiting Florida should probably be down at the racetrack, instead.
Source: thebrumoscollection.com.