The Museum’s Antique Automobile Exhibit has more than 60 vehicles on display. The automobiles and trucks on view date from 1902 – 1962 and illustrate technological advances and engineering fetes that helped make cars accessible to the masses. Our collection also includes vintage gas pumps, oil cans, service manuals, and other automotive ephemera.
Our Antique Auto Exhibit Attendants are happy to answer any questions you might have and if you time your visit right we might just be offering Model T rides on the day of your visit.
The image gallery below is just a small preview of what you’ll experience at the Museum. In the future we’ll be adding brand new images of the entire car collection.
This pumper replaced the hand-tub pumper and allowed just three men (engineer, driver and coal stoker) to take the place of six or more men who were needed to operate a hand pumper. It could send a 2 1/2” stream of water 250 feet into the air, impressive even by today’s standards. On loan from the Old Town, Maine Fire Department.
With two cylinders, it ran a mile on a gallon of water, 80+ hp and 705 lbs. torque at full boiler pressure. It could hit a speed of 60 to 70 mph on a good road, and still be able to operate on city streets without danger of overheating or “stalling”.
Not only can you “touch” this hack, but you and your spouse, children, and friends can sit in it and imagine that you are driving down a narrow dirt road in Maine.
Special low-slung frames and swoopy bodies were the hallmark of these special sporty English cars. Only 78 of these cars were built and only 7 are known to exist today. The next year of production, in 1936, this model received a new name – JAGUAR.
Six body styles of Model 1502 were offered in 1937, but only three Phaetons were produced. There are just two of them left, and the Boothbay Railway Village is honored to have one of them.
In September 1949, in order to keep pace with its new competition, Whizzer released the Model “300” Motor. This new engine had 7/8 in. valves, a more efficient combustion chamber, better cooling, and a higher compression ratio. These changes resulted in a 3 HP engine that could reach speeds of 40 mph. Whizzer sold about 15,000 Model “300” motors at $109.97 each.
Once owned by Thomas Edison's widow.
Rolls-Royce has always been renowned for its quiet ride which is due partly to the body having no metal to metal contact with the chassis except through the speedometer cable.
For over 50 years Brud stood by his orange“wagon” dispensing his steaming hot dogs - “You want everything on it” usually brought a nod and mayonnaise and chopped onions were added to the hot dog. The Town of Boothbay Harbor “grandfathered” him. His would be the only “street pedlar”/victualler’s license issued in the town.