The LeMay Car Museum announced this week it has received a pledge of $250,000 from the Bingham Family and Park Place Motors of Bellevue, Wash. The gift, in support of the “Drive for America’s Car Museum” campaign, was presented to the Museum by David Bingham, Chairman and CEO of Park Place Ltd. In recognition for the gift, Mr. Bingham will select a room to be named for Park Place Motors in the new Museum. Plans are to break ground in 2008 and open to the public by 2010.
This multi-year commitment to the Museum will also grant Park Place Motors “official provider” status and their experience with prominent auctions will make them a valuable partner with the Museum in developing a LeMay auction, according to the museum.
The Harold E. LeMay Museum in Tacoma preserves and interprets the LeMay Collection of automobiles and memorabilia, along with vehicles and artifacts it may acquire. The LeMay Collection was recognized in the Guinness Book of World records as the largest privately held car collection in the world. At its peak, the collection was in excess of 3,000 automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and other vehicles, plus more than 30,000 pieces of related 20th century Americana. Plans are under way to build a museum in Tacoma to feature a permanent collection of 1,200 cars and memorabilia.