Imperial Palace Automobile Collection

    You don't need to know a carburetor from a cam shaft to appreciate the car show at the Imperial Palace. Everyone will find something of interest at the show that has over 200 antique and classic cars in it's collection. The collection is open daily from 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM and costs $6.95 for adults, $3 for seniors and children under 12. AAA members are admitted free. There are numerous rare cars and cars owned by celebrities in the show, but the main attraction is the collection of Model J Dusenbergs. The Imperial Palace has world's largest accumulation of these rare cars (43) that together are worth over $50 million.

     Also of  interest is President's Row, where some of the former presidents' cars are displayed. You can see JFK's 1962 Lincoln Continental (not THE car),  FDR's 1936 V-16 Cadillac, Truman's 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan with gold-plated interior and everybody liked Ike in his 20-foot long parade car, a 1952 Chrysler Imperial.

   In fairness to this century's dictators, The Imperial Palace also has a dictator's section. Even fascists love cars. See Czar Nicholas II's 1914 Rolls-Royce, Juan Peron's 1939 straight-8 Packard and Emperor Hirohito's 1935 Packard. One of the most interesting and sometimes controversial cars in the collection is the mine-proof, bulletproof, armored 1936 Mercedes-Benz 770K owned by Adolf Hitler. It's the most evil-oozing car since "Christine".

    Some of the celebrity cars include Elvis Presley's 1976 Cadillac Eldorado and Al Capone's 1930 V-16 Cadillac. There are also cars that have been modified by the owners to fit their personality. Liberace's 1981 Zimmer fitted with candelabras is on display as is W.C. Field's black 1938 Cadillac V-16 with built-in bar. Obviously, he was not concerned with drinking and driving except to say that he liked it.