Leith Cars Travel Report: On The Road to Escondido

No, it’s not the title to the 2006 album by Eric Clapton and J.J. Cale we’re referring to but rather a hidden gem, squirreled away in the hills of northern San Diego County, California and just a stone’s throw from the Lawrence Welk Resort near Escondido. If there was ever a Mecca for classic American cars from the turn of the 20^th century right up through to the 1970s muscle car era, as well as iconic Americana from days long gone-by, Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum is it!

LeithCars’ Zero to 60 TV and WRAL.com Car Smarts host, Mark Arsen, recently took a family vacation out to San Diego where he discovered one of the county’s best kept secrets. Deer Park, on old Highway 395, a.k.a. Champagne Blvd., is easy to miss as you make your way past the front gate at 55 mph, but with a keen eye, you’ll spot the old metal archway at the entrance that leads you up to the first of three large buildings on the site.

For a modest admission price of $10 dollars, or $9 if you’re 55 or older, you get access to an incredible display of California car culture featuring a very special collection of antique and classic cars, old-style gas pumps, automotive and pop-culture signage, arcade games, bicycles and more! Culled together from the private collections of four different families, their love for classic American design is evident inside every building of the museum.

You’ll start your tour in Building #1, where you enter and buy your ticket (kids 9 and under get in free). As you enter and encounter a room packed bumper to bumper with an early example of a “horseless carriage” by Buick, an elegantly chromed and detailed Lincoln roadster, a Chrysler convertible, a Hudson, a Packard and more, you’ll feel as though you have time traveled!

But that’s just the beginning. Before you exit the first building to stroll past the beautiful grounds of the vineyard and on to building #2, you’ll see one of the many automobile oddities found at Deer Park, a red, 3-wheeled micro-car by Messerschmitt. Yes, the German aircraft manufacturer temporarily banned from building planes after World War II, switched gears to build a quirky, unconventional car. This ungainly vehicle was made from 1955 to 1964 and Deer Park has one, complete with aircraft-inspired steering handles!

Buildings #2 and #3 house an even more extensive collection of cars, some that appear un-restored and in original condition. Row upon row of Studebakers, Packards, Plymouths, Pontiacs and even a rare Pierce Arrow! The museum features an even more unbelievable collection of old dealership neon signs, tube-style TVs, radios and appliances from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, as well as classic kids’ toys. There’s even a bridal room filled floor to ceiling with Barbie dolls and a child’s pink Corvette pedal car!

So, if a trip to the San Diego area is in your cards this year, Mark Arsen recommends you stop by Deer Park Winery & Automobile Museum. If you go, make it your destination for the day, and you’ll thank yourself later! There’s a bonus too if you’re a connoisseur of wine as the winery offers samples of a variety of wines bottled on-site—just make sure you have a designated driver after all that wine tasting!

Plan your trip to the museum at www.deerparkwine.com and tell them, “Leith Cars” from North Carolina sent you!”