April 17, 2027 will be a sad day for rare-car enthusiasts and those who cherish the ‘Mother Road of America’: Route 66.
One of the finest collections of rare cars will close that day. Springfield, Missouri will never be the same.
Springfield is not just another city along the historic road from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. The city is considered the birthplace of Route 66 because it’s where a group of movers and shakers met and on April 30, 1926 sent a telegram to Washington, D.C. suggesting the name “Route 66.” It took until 1938 before the entire route became a paved road.
Located on the original Route 66, The Car Museum opened to the public in 2016. This privately owned car collection began in 1990 when Guy Mace bought his first Jaguar and began purchasing 2-4 cars a year. His interests focused on sports cars and classic autos from the early 1900’s through the 1990’s. Mace, now 84, has decided to sell off the cars at auction.
In this brief story I am showing a few of the most expensive and most historically important cars in the collection, which comprises 75 vehicles. It is estimated that 30% of the visitors to the Car Museum are from outside the country. It is a testament to the allure Route 66 holds around the world. I communicated with a professor last week, who was born in New Zealand and now lives in Thailand: he lamented that he had never driven Route 66, even though he aspired to do it.
The first photo is the most expensive car on display: a 1936 Horch 853. I was told it was rescued from the Dachau concentration camp after World War II ended, and that only one other such car still exists: at the Hitler Museum in Moscow. Mace bought this one in 2010 at the Branson Car Auction. It is estimated to be worth $1.5 million, and is the lead photo with this article
Another unusual vehicle here, also worth at least $1 million, is a 1939 Packard Safari car. This particular one was used by British PM Winston Churchill when he was big game hunting in Africa. Only three such vehicles were made, and this is the only one left.
On the sporty side, we have a 1925 Kissel Gold Bug Speedster. It was made in Hartford, Wisconsin. The famous pilot Amelia Earhart owned one. Of the 35,000 cars made, only 150 Kissels still exist.
The oldest car I saw at the museum is a 1907 REO Model G. It has an 8 horsepower engine. In comparison, a modern Corvette has more than 500 horsepower.
And finally, the amazing lines of a 1934 Ford Brewster, with its iconic heart-shaped grille. Brewster Fords are the only Ford V-8 based cars recognised as full classics by the Classic Car Club of America. The Brewster was the only American car to ever win the Gold Medal at the Paris International Exposition.
See them all together, before the collection is dispersed forever!
This is the first article for SunNewsAustin CELEBRATING the 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ROUTE 66.
All photos by C. Cunningham, in June 2026
Website: www.66carmuseum.com
Subscribe to the excellent Route 66 magazine: www.routemagazine.us