The Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection: An Auto Enthusiast Dream

High Performance Engines Racing Engine

I love surprises. I enjoy the moments when something out of the ordinary happens and once again I realize that the world is a bigger place than I have given it credit for. On a recent trip to Miami with the Automotive Addicts team to attend a luncheon sponsored by GM to roll out the new Corvette Stingray, I was able indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Miami’s Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection. At the lunch I met fellow car enthusiast, author, journalist, and the current curator of Miami’s Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection, Myles Korblatt. The two of us immediately hit it off, and why wouldn’t we, he is an authentic car guy. Myles’ love, appreciation and knowledge of all things automotive are contagious. During the conversation, he invited the Automotive Addicts team to visit the museum and view the 1500 vehicle collection. It didn’t take too much convincing, to view a collection of 1500 pristine vehicles in a climate controlled environment almost sounds too good to be true. After lunch, we followed the GPS instructions to the colorful, art deco multi-building complex in North Miami.

Where Hollywood Cars are the Stars

Upon arriving at Miami’s Auto Museum, we followed the signs to the 50s diner style lobby, complete with vintage cars fashioned into booth style seating. Even from the entrance, the overwhelming volume, quality, and uniqueness of the collection of vehicles and vehicle-related collectibles begins to astound you. You eventually realize you are in for one of those “the world is a bigger place than you gave it credit for” experiences. The collection is broken up into fifteen dedicated galleries in two buildings. One building houses the American classics, European classics, military vehicles, electric vehicles, motorcycles, scooters/bicycles, and outboard motors. The other building is mostly designed around pop culture themes, including an incredible collection of Hollywood memorabilia and the original cars used in long running television shows including; The Dukes of Hazzard, Night Rider, The Munsters, The Monkees, and Hardcastle and McCormick. If you are anything like me and considered the real star of Magnum PI to be a red Ferrrari 308GTS, then you are in for a real treat.

The other pop culture galleries are movie themed. If you ever wanted to see almost all of the Batmobiles under one roof, then the Dezer Collection is the place to visit. Do you love 007? The James Bond gallery is incredible. The collection includes many rare and exotic cars, including two mint examples of Bond driven Austin Martin DB5’s and the “most collectible Japanese car of all time,” the 1967 Toyota 2000GT convertible. The gallery also includes tanks, submarines, boats, helicopters and a hall of vintage Bond theme toys and small collectibles. It is fair to say that a family could spend a day working through this gallery alone.