Nethercutt Museum: Hidden Treasure of the Valley [Video]

On my parents' last visit from out of town we went to the Peterson Automotive Museum because my father is an avid classic car collector and has restored a 1931 Ford Coupe, a 1957 Chevy, a 1965 Chevelle (which is mine now) and several motorcycles.

So this time I decided to take them to the Nethercutt Museum, a place I had never been to but had been told about by Mike Szymanski, the Studio City Patch editor.

Since taking this job over a year ago, I have come to know the North Hollywood-Toluca Lake area and the greater San Fernando Valley in such an intimate way, yet its wonders and hidden treasures never seem to stop revealing themselves. Dig deeper, and it is just more gold you are likely to find. Because of its remote location, many people who have lived in the Valley their whole lives have never heard of the Nethercutt, but it is truly an awe-inspiring wonder. (Click on the video and see the museum for yourself.)

The Nethercutt Museum and Nethercutt Collection are located way out on the northern rim of the Valley in Sylmar. Inside the museum is over 130 antique cars in mint condition. There is a small room of hot rods, but many are rare touring cars, something you would imagine Winston Churchill riding in during a parade.

There are also some racing cars, and the first thing you see when walking into the museum is a 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Dubos Coupe. My father's jaw dropped. "This car is worth a couple million dollars," he said in astonishment. I smiled. We had come to the right place.

My father knows more about automobiles than anyone I have ever known. He can spot just the fender of a rusty hot rod from nine blocks away and go, "That's a 1956 Chevrolet 2154 Sport." So when he said, "There are many cars here I have never heard of," I knew how rare and special this collection was. As my father explained, during the early part of the 20th century, there were more than 200 auto companies, but by the start of World War II, only a few remained. Many of the cars in the Nethercutt are long-extinct makes and models.

Both our jaws dropped when we came across a 1948 Tucker, one of the rarest cars in the world. There were only 51 Tuckers ever made, and 48 survive today, many valued at over $1 million. The 1988 movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream starring Jeff Bridges chronicled the short history of the company.

Aside from the museum, there is also the Nethercutt Collection, a separate building across the street that is only open by guided tour, which was booked that day. The collection holds more automobiles, antique furniture, clocks, watches, and one of the worlds finest collections of mechanical musical instruments. We were disappointed that the collection tour was booked, but it will give us something to look forward to next time we go.

One of the best things about the Nethercutt Museum is that it is free. It was opened in 1971 by J.B. Nethercutt, who founded Merle Norman Cosmetics, and his wife, Dorothy, who donated their private car collection. The couple were married for 70 years, and both passed away within months of each other in 2004.

“The recognition and preservation of beauty has been a major focus of my life. It would suit me well if what people remembered about me was, ‘Where he went, he left beauty behind,’” J.B. Nethercutt said, according to the Nethercutt website.

Today the Nethercutt Museum and Nethercutt Collection is run by his son, Jack, and his wife, Helen.