Route 66 Car Museum opens in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A museum dedicated to classic cars has opened in Springfield.

The Springfield News-Leader reported 75-year-old Guy Mace opened the Route 66 Car Museum on Wednesday. The museum is housed in a 20,000-square-foot facility that used to be a warehouse, and features a gift shop.

It has 70 cars in its collection, including seven Jaguars, two Rolls Royces, a couple of Brass-Era cars that predate 1910, and several cars from movies.

"The most famous is the truck from the 1939 movie 'Grapes of Wrath' that starred Henry Fonda," Mace said. "The truck has been redone as a Great Race rally car since the body was almost rusted away. I have a Gotham Roadster. I just recently acquired that. It's a beautiful movie car. I have arguably the only zombie protection vehicle in the four-state area. That is from the 'Resident Evil' TV series."

Mace started collecting in 1990, when he bought his first Jaguar. That was around the time Mace, who has a degree in chemical engineering, founded Turblex in a partnership with Denmark-based compressor company HV-Turbo. Turblex manufactures aeration blowers and instrumented aeration systems for the North American market. In 2007, he sold his share of the company to German-based Siemens.

The museum is housed in a 20,000-square-foot facility that served as his factory.

Susan Wade, public relations manager for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the museum adds another Route 66 reason for people to spend time in the city.

Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com