GB Magazine November 2021 | Page 68

Museum

San Diego Automotive Museum GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING

San Diego Automotive
Museum

Opening in 2021 with doors closed due to COVID , the San Diego Automotive Museum dreamed of creating a worldclass museum to emerge from the pandemic reviving the automobile ’ s past , present , and future . The physical changes came first – clean up the 87-year-old building with fresh paint , new flooring , fresh exhibitions , a swanky gift shop and classic car additions . The tile murals overlooking the Museum ’ s entrance were beautifully restored and dedicated by Mayor Todd Gloria in the spring . As restrictions lifted , the Museum held a grand reopening and a Museum-to-Sycuan car rally . Community events resumed – Coffee and Cars , local clubs displaying their prized autos monthly , and museum cars show at numerous events around San Diego County .

New CEO Lenny Leszczynski kept the dream going . He outlined the first annual signature event and dusted off long-forgotten plans for a two-story automotive museum expansion . The reimagining of the Museum launches a $ 22 million Capital Campaign renovation . It increases the Museum to 48,000 square feet , creates more exhibition areas , and includes a newly constructed entryway , welcome desk , classrooms and more . It encompasses a library overhaul to preserve the widest variety of automotive publications on the west coast . Plus , a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity : that of renaming the Museum itself !
68 GBSAN . COM | NOVEMBER 2021