Tampa Bay Automobile Museum

09/02/2026

Back by popular demand, Hoods Up Week returns to the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum, October 11th through the 18th.

For one week only, get a closer look at what’s usually hidden beneath the hoods of our collection.

From early electric cars to unusual engines, rare engineering and everything from 2 to 12 cylinders, there’s a lot to see.

Hoods Up Week is included with regular museum admission. Come take a look under the hood.

08/31/2026

CAR OF THE WEEK: 1910 ELMORE MODEL 36

“The Car With No Valves.”

While most automobile engines relied on conventional intake and exhaust valves, Elmore took a very different approach.

The Model 36 used a four-cylinder, two-stroke engine that controlled the flow of gases through ports opened and closed by the movement of the pistons. The unusual design became one of Elmore’s biggest selling points, inspiring the company’s memorable slogan, “The Car With No Valves.”

Elmore’s engineering even caught the attention of General Motors founder William C. Durant, who acquired the company in 1909.

See the 1910 Elmore Model 36 in person at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.

08/29/2026

This 1952 Jaguar XK120 comes from an era when 120 mph sounded almost impossible for a production car.

In fact, the “120” in its name refers to its 120 mph top-speed target.

Powered by Jaguar’s legendary 3.4-liter twin-cam straight-six, the XK120 helped establish Jaguar as one of the world’s great performance marques.

And yes, it looks just as good standing still as it does on the road.

Come see this 1952 Jaguar XK120 and other fascinating vehicles at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.

08/27/2026

CARS & COFFEE • PINELLAS PARK
OCTOBER 24 • 8 AM–12 PM

TAMPA BAY AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

SAVE THE DATE

CLASSICS • EXOTICS • MODERN CARS
ALL VEHICLES WELCOME

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON

08/25/2026

This 1974 Renault Alpine A110 1600 VD recently visited Cerf Motorworks for a tune-up. With its rear-engine design, lightweight fiberglass body and impressive rally heritage, this petite powerhouse is once again running beautifully.

See this rare Alpine Blue icon at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.

FrenchCars RallyLegend ClassicCars

08/24/2026

CAR OF THE WEEK: 1905 FRANKLIN MODEL F TOURING

Engineer John Wilkinson believed a car should be lightweight, simple and dependable. The Franklin Model F used a 12-horsepower, four-cylinder air-cooled engine, eliminating the radiator, coolant and plumbing required by water-cooled cars.

Its wooden chassis also helped keep weight down while absorbing some of the shock from the rough roads of the era. Combined with full-elliptic suspension, the Model F was designed around a very different idea for the time: build a lighter car that could better handle real-world driving conditions.

See the 1905 Franklin Model F Touring in person at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.

08/22/2026

What happens when a 1950s Disney child star walks away from Hollywood? He builds a one-of-a-kind, aircraft-inspired American supercar.

In the 1950s, David Stollery was a household name to millions of kids as Marty Markham on Disney’s hit serial "Spin and Marty." But instead of chasing the spotlight into adulthood, Stollery followed a different passion: industrial automotive design.

His incredible second act took him to the design studios of General Motors and Toyota, where he helped establish the famous CALTY studio and shape the iconic second-generation Toyota Celica. He even designed the ubiquitous fiberglass lifeguard towers you still see on beaches today!

To showcase the absolute peak of what his design company could do, Stollery built his ultimate passion project: The Arex.

👇 See the Arex in person!
Come see this breathtaking piece of automotive history live on the showroom floor at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.
Plan your visit: https://www.tbauto.org/

08/19/2026

The D.B. Le Mans was not designed around a large engine or brute force. It was built around efficiency. By combining low weight, aerodynamic bodywork and an unusually compact Panhard engine, Deutsch-Bonnet created a sports car that could achieve impressive performance without excess.... READ MORE:

https://www.tbauto.org/post/1961-cabriolet-db-panhard-le-mans?fbclid=IwdGRleATzTqlwZG9mAWZkaWQWUM2lVPw9DXD5bMO1nCGYk6ZTRwM9s2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6sLgad-Xrr9vb2PNqkuQLTIOjBZ7dC254TKQJN-Rke9ZSRoHnkUE--nvjl7g_aem_mX8Hy4pCozkoeoYeZgrNkQ

At first glance, the 1961 D.B. Le Mans appears to be a charming French interpretation of the early 1960s sports car. Its long hood, delicate chrome trim and restrained tailfins give it a touch of American glamour. Beneath that fashionable fiberglass body, however, is a machine shaped by a very diffe...

08/17/2026

CAR OF THE WEEK: 1899 SOCIÉTÉ PARISIENNE

At a time when most automobile makers were moving toward rear-wheel drive, Société Parisienne took a very different approach.

Its single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine was mounted directly to the front axle, with the entire front drive assembly pivoting as the car was steered. It was one of the earliest production approaches to front-wheel drive and an unusual solution for the era.

See the 1899 Société Parisienne in person at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.

08/16/2026

This is the 1899 Société Parisienne Victoria Combination, built during a time when automobiles truly were “horseless carriages.”

Originally a Paris bicycle manufacturer, Société Parisienne paired a traditional Victoria carriage body with a single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine, transmission and two driven front wheels. When the driver moved the long tiller, the entire engine and front axle pivoted together, pulling the carriage around the turn like a mechanical horse.

Produced in meaningful numbers, it became one of the earliest front-wheel-drive automobiles and a fascinating bridge between the carriage age and the automobile age.

See it at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.