Dick's Classic Garage: A Cruise Back in Time

By: Lindsey Schlandt

At Dick’s Classic Garage, the cars are not the only thing being preserved, but the history of another era in America.

Located in San Marcos, Texas, this car museum contains vehicles from as early as 1919 up to 1959, all perfectly restored. What separates the museum from others is it’s dedication to not only the cars, but also the history they represent.

Dick Burdick founded the museum in 1980 in an effort to use his collection to further educate on the history of the automobile.

Thomas Fortney, museum curator and employee of Dick’s for 9 years, believes the museum exemplifies what America was in the height of American manufacturing.

“You don’t get to see these vehicles anymore, and the further on we go the less and less we see them,” said Fortney. “You see as the car evolved the country evolved too.”

The collection is one of the most varied in the country, with vehicles ranging from low-end consumer vehicles to cars such as the Tucker, one of only 50 made.

“These were cars you actually got to drive,” said Fortney. “What Mr. Burdick has done is actually collected a very well rounded collection.

The Tucker is the museum’s biggest draw, a car said to be years ahead of it’s time when it was built, and museum-goer Craig Caldwell traveled all the way from Horn Lake, Mississippi to see it.

“I’m on a quest to see as many Tuckers as I can,” said Caldwell. “I drove over 1000 miles to see this.”

Caldwell also believes Dick’s Classic Garage is one of the nicer museum’s he’s visited in his trip.

“This is a very well done collection, you could almost eat off the floor,” said Caldwell.

Dick’s also hopes to build more permanent installments to their collection in the next couple years.

“We’re actually going to start building displays around the vehicles, so they will be the same vehicles, but in a more historical context,” said Fortney. Two projects we have coming up if we can raise the funds is a 1950’s gas station, and actually hopefully in the next couple months put a barn in the lobby.”

More information on Dick’s Classic Garage can be found on their official website: www.dicksclassicgarage.com

The Infamous Three-Headlight Car: Torpedo on Wheels

By: Chantel Nurkowski 

 This non-profit museum has cars from the 1930’s to 1950’s and was founded by Dick Burdick. The Tucker 48 can be found at Dick’s Car Garage, which was briefly produced in Chicago. Only 51 cars were produced. The original proposed price for the Tucker was $2,450. The value of the car is now worth millions. The Tucker at this museum has never been driven, and was the last car to be produced.

Tucker has a flat-6 rear engine, four-wheel independent suspension, and a fuel injection. Because it has a rear engine, it is rear wheel drive. It also has a “Cyclops eye,” which is a third headlight in the center of the car, which activates at steering angles of greater than 10 degrees to light the car's path around corners. The windshield is made of shatterproof glass. The glove box is actually located on the front door panels because in front of the passenger seat is a “crash chamber” which is a padded area to protect the passenger.

Missy B, a reviewer on Yelp, who resides in Austin, Texas said, “I had heard about this famous car, but seeing it in person was more impressive than I could imagine. Not only is this car huge, I mean so big I couldn't get a good pic of it, but it has an aura about it that just makes you want it, like it is sending off pheromones. We also found out that it has to lowest mileage of any antique car in any car museum, only 1/2 mile on the odometer.”

Preston Tucker first named it the Tucker Torpedo, but since he didn’t want to remind people of World War II when hearing the name of this car, he changed the name to Tucker 48.

The 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream is about the car’s production.

Event Space Available at Dick’s Classic Garage

By: Joy Smith

Host your next party, meeting, or event at Dick’s Classic Garage for a unique experience.

Dick’s Garage has hosted an array of events, from holiday parties to weddings, with groups as small as 20 people or as large as 500 guests.

The 2,500 square ft. Event Room is equipped with a full top-of-the-line audio-visual system. The space includes 22 round tables and 150 chairs and is ideal for meetings or banquets. For an additional fee, admittance for guests into the museum to see over 70 classic cars from the teens to the 1950’s will be included.

The daytime rate for the Event Room is $100 per hour available between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. For evening events the rate is $200 per hour available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Please note that the Showroom Floor and gift shop will be closed during evening events.

For a larger events, or those seeking an exceptional ambiance, the Showroom Floor is available for rental between the hours of 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tables and chairs may be placed throughout the museum so attendees can dine and mingle amongst the collection of classic cars valued at $20 million.

The Showroom Floor is available for $1500 per night. A special discounted rate is offered for Non-Profit events and fundraisers.

Rental linens for the tables are on-hand for an additional fee.

For more information about rentals please contact Kathleen Cheatham at 512-878-2406 or at kathleen@dicksclassicgarage.com. Or visit www.dicksclassicgarage.org

Dick’s Classic Gift Shop

By: Meg Sween

Dick’s Classic Garage is a wonder for every age. Full of history and memorabilia, Dick’s Garage is truly a gem, right here, in the heart of Texas.

The museum on Stagecoach Trail, in San Marcos, Texas features not only cars ranging from the 1920’s through till the 1950’s but also a gift shop loaded with mementos and toys of the sort.

Having been created during the height of the Great Depression in 1932, the Kit-Cat clock can be seen in households all over America to this day. The Kit-Cat clock, with its roaming eyes and ticking tail, proudly presents itself here in San Marcos. Dick’s Classic Garage is proud to be an authorized retailer of this American icon.

Also featured in the gift shop at Dick’s Garage are 100 Tucker Torpedo model cars. These specific die-cast models have seen a dramatic halt in production within the last few months, and Dick’s will only carry the Tucker model car until its supplies run out.

Although the Tucker Torpedo model car will no longer be manufactured, Dick’s Classic Garage says they intend to keep the very last die-cast model as a keepsake for the museum and their guests.

Those who attend the museum will also be pleased to find the ever classic, hanging fuzzy dice on the shelves at Dick’s gift shop. By the middle of the 1950’s, cars in America became more than a means of transportation. With the introduction of the low-rider car in southern California and the desire to treat the automobile as a canvas, thus began the need for a customized car. In turn, the production of the iconic fuzzy dice had begun.

Various American-made tin signs featuring advertisements from the 20’s to the 50’s can also be found in the gift shop at Dick’s. Any tin sign bought at the museum is guaranteed to hold its shape and color for life. The gift shop is stocked with drink ware, apparel, and other die-cast models of a range of designs, as well.