One of the great collections in the northeastern United States is the Simeone Automotive Museum in South Philadelphia, a veritable treasure of world-famed racing sports cars, including a galaxy of documented Le Mans participants. It’s going in a different direction, in a literal sense, for a forthcoming exhibition.
From October 29 through November 6, the Simeone Museum will present a selection of vintage and historic drag cars in the main exhibition hall. The undisputed star will be the restored Funny Car, with fiberglass Chevrolet Vega bodywork, raced during the early 1970s by the outrageous Jungle Jim Liberman, who lived and died not far south of the museum in West Chester. Glenn Gualtieri now owns the race car. The official launch on the 29th includes a Philly luncheon, a spread encompassing – naturally – cheesesteaks and pretzels. The museum is also planning a lifetime Spirit of Competition award to another guy who went fast in a straight line, land speed hero Craig Breedlove. To learn more, visit SimeoneMuseum.org.