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DISCOVER OUR CLASSIC CAR COLLECTION
McCandless Collection: Cars Signs Clocks Lighters Cans
Preserving Auto History
The McCandless Collection is a classic car museum in Burlington, North Carolina, dedicated to preserving one of the most exciting periods in American automotive history. Our museum focuses on the bold design, engineering, and cultural impact of the Forward Look Era, a period when Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, and Imperial helped reshape what American cars could look like.
This is not a museum built around quantity alone. It is a carefully curated collection of classic cars, vintage automotive signs, clocks, lighters, cans, automobilia, and rare historical pieces that tell the story of American car culture. Every vehicle and display helps visitors understand the creativity, competition, and craftsmanship that defined mid-century automotive design.
At the McCandless Collection, visitors can see rare Forward Look cars, explore vintage automotive memorabilia, learn about the influence of Virgil Exner, and experience a private collection built for enthusiasts, historians, collectors, and families who appreciate classic American automobiles.
As our collection continues to grow, returning visitors will find new vehicles, displays, and artifacts that add even more depth to the museum experience.
What Makes the McCandless Collection Different?
The McCandless Collection is not a general car museum with a little bit of everything. Our focus is much more specific. We preserve and showcase vehicles, memorabilia, and design history connected to the Forward Look Era and the broader world of classic American automobiles.
Many auto museums display cars by decade, brand, or rarity. The McCandless Collection goes deeper into a particular moment in automotive history when American manufacturers were competing to build cars that looked lower, wider, longer, faster, and more futuristic. This era produced some of the most dramatic styling ever seen on American roads.
Our collection highlights the design language that made Chrysler Corporation products stand apart during the 1950s and early 1960s. Sweeping tailfins, bold chrome, wide grilles, hardtop rooflines, two-tone paint, and confident proportions all helped define the era.
Visitors will find classic cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, and Imperial, along with vintage advertising, signs, clocks, race memorabilia, and automotive artifacts that help place those vehicles in context. Together, these pieces create a museum experience that is both visual and educational. For Mopar enthusiasts, Forward Look collectors, classic car fans, and anyone interested in American design history, the McCandless Collection offers a focused experience that is difficult to find anywhere else.
Explore One of North Carolina’s Premier Classic Car Museums
Located in Burlington, North Carolina, the McCandless Collection gives visitors a chance to walk through a curated automotive environment filled with classic cars, rare memorabilia, and stories from a defining period in American car culture.
The museum is designed for more than simply looking at vehicles. It gives visitors a closer look at the people, ideas, brands, and design movements behind the cars. From the lines of a Chrysler 300C to the presence of a Dodge Custom Royal Convertible, each vehicle reflects the optimism, experimentation, and style of its time.
The McCandless Collection is a destination for:
- classic car enthusiasts
- Mopar collectors
- automotive historians
- families looking for a unique museum experience
- car clubs and enthusiast groups
- visitors traveling through central North Carolina
- people interested in vintage signs, clocks, and automobilia
Because the museum is open by appointment, guests can enjoy a more personal experience than they might find at a crowded public attraction. Whether you are visiting from Burlington, Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, or another part of the country, the McCandless Collection offers a memorable look into classic automotive history.
The History of the Forward Look Era
The Forward Look Era is the heart of the McCandless Collection.
Introduced by Chrysler in the mid-1950s, the Forward Look represented a major shift in American automotive design. Under the direction of designer Virgil Exner, Chrysler Corporation moved away from conservative, upright styling and introduced cars that were lower, longer, wider, and far more dramatic. Virgil Exner’s work helped transform Chrysler’s image. His designs emphasized motion, elegance, and futuristic proportions. The Forward Look became known for sweeping body lines, dramatic tailfins, bold grilles, and a sense of speed even when the cars were standing still.
The Detroit Historical Society notes that Exner’s first production cars for Chrysler’s 1955 Forward Look line included the Imperial and the first Chrysler 300, with lower rooflines and dramatic tailfins becoming defining features of the 1957 models. That wedge-like design earned Exner and his team the Gold Medal Award from the Industrial Designers’ Institute. For Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, and Imperial, the Forward Look was more than a styling update. It was a design revolution. These cars reflected the optimism of postwar America, the influence of aviation, the excitement of the space age, and the competitive pressure among Detroit automakers.
The Forward Look Era also pushed General Motors and Ford to respond. American car design became more expressive, more daring, and more closely tied to emotion and visual impact. Tailfins, chrome, glass, color, and proportion all became part of the national conversation around automobiles. Today, Forward Look cars remain highly collectible because they represent a period when design mattered deeply. They were not just transportation. They were statements of progress, ambition, and American style.
At the McCandless Collection, visitors can see this history up close through cars, signs, advertising pieces, and memorabilia connected to the era.
Featured Classic Cars
in the Museum
The McCandless Collection includes rare and historically significant classic cars that represent the design, engineering, and personality of the Forward Look Era. Below are examples of the types of vehicles visitors may experience throughout the museum.
Museum Schedule
MON: By appointment only
TUES: By appointment only
WED: By appointment only
THU: By appointment only
FRI: By appointment only
SAT: By appointment only
Sunday: closed
More Than Just Classic Cars
Although classic cars are the centerpiece of the McCandless Collection, the museum experience goes beyond the vehicles themselves.
Automotive history is not only found under the hood or in the body lines of a car. It is also found in the signs that once hung above service stations, the clocks that displayed brand names in dealerships, the advertising that shaped public imagination, and the memorabilia that connected people to their favorite manufacturers.
The McCandless Collection includes:
- vintage automotive signs
- advertising clocks
- race and replica helmets
- trophies
- rare documents
- automotive models
- lighters
- oil cans
- dealership memorabilia
- Mopar-related artifacts
These items help visitors understand the world around the cars. They show how automobiles influenced business, advertising, design, motorsports, and everyday American life.
For many visitors, the memorabilia creates a sense of nostalgia. For collectors, it provides valuable historical context. For younger guests, it helps explain how cars became such a powerful part of American culture.
Very beautiful expansive collection of The Forward Look Era, with a knowledgeable staff to guide customers through the history.
Awesome experience for all genders!!! There is so much history and nostalgia here! All of this in a beautiful space.
Wonderfully curated museum with incredible displays - there is something here to interest everyone! Great experience!
Plan Your Visit to Our Classic Car Museum
A visit to the McCandless Collection is a chance to step into a focused piece of American automotive history. Whether you are planning a solo visit, a group tour, a club outing, a corporate meeting, or a private event, our team can help coordinate your experience.
Location and Accessibility
The McCandless Collection is located at:
1452 Industry Dr
Burlington, NC 27215
Our central North Carolina location makes the museum easy to reach from Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte.
Hours of Operation and Admission Fees
The McCandless Collection is open by appointment only Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. Please contact us directly for current appointment availability, admission information, group visit details, and private event options.
Contact
Have questions or need help planning your visit?
- Call: (336) 792-2254
- Email: info@mccandlesscollection.com
We are happy to answer questions about scheduling, group visits, private events, collection details, and museum access.
We are adding to our collection
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Supporting the McCandless Collection Classic Auto Museum
Preserving automotive history takes ongoing care, resources, and community support. The McCandless Collection exists to protect classic cars, memorabilia, and historical artifacts so future generations can experience and learn from them.
Whether you are a lifelong classic car enthusiast, a Mopar collector, a local supporter, or someone who believes in preserving American design history, your support helps keep the collection available for education, events, and future visitors.
Donations and Sponsorships
Donations and sponsorships help support preservation, display improvements, educational programming, and future growth of the collection. Contributions may help preserve vintage vehicles, protect important memorabilia, improve the visitor experience, or support museum operations.
If you are considering donating a classic car, automotive memorabilia, or related historical items, please contact the museum to discuss the process.
Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteers are an important part of any museum community. If you love classic cars, automotive history, restoration, research, tours, events, or preservation work, volunteering with the McCandless Collection may be a meaningful way to get involved.
Interested volunteers can contact us for more information about future opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of museum is the McCandless Collection?
The McCandless Collection is a classic car museum and automotive collection in Burlington, North Carolina. The museum focuses on Forward Look Era vehicles, classic American cars, vintage signs, clocks, automobilia, and Mopar-related history.
Is the McCandless Collection open to the public?
The museum is open by appointment only Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. Visitors should contact the museum before arriving to schedule a visit.
Where is the McCandless Collection located?
The McCandless Collection is located at 1452 Industry Dr, Burlington, NC 27215.
What makes this classic car museum different?
The McCandless Collection has a strong focus on the Forward Look Era and classic American automotive design. Visitors can see rare cars, vintage advertising, signs, clocks, and memorabilia connected to Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, Imperial, and Mopar history.
What is the Forward Look Era?
The Forward Look Era refers to a major Chrysler Corporation design period led by Virgil Exner. These cars became known for lower rooflines, longer bodies, dramatic tailfins, bold chrome, and futuristic styling that influenced American automotive design.
Can groups or car clubs visit the museum?
Yes. The museum may accommodate group visits, car clubs, private tours, corporate meetings, and special events by appointment. Contact the museum for details.
Is the museum only for Mopar enthusiasts?
No. Mopar and Forward Look fans will especially appreciate the collection, but the museum is also a great destination for anyone interested in classic cars, American design, vintage signs, automotive memorabilia, and mid-century history.
Visit Our Classic Car Museum
The McCandless Collection offers a close look at one of the most visually exciting periods in American automotive history. From Forward Look classics to vintage signs, clocks, lighters, cans, and automobilia, the museum preserves the cars and artifacts that helped define a generation.
Whether you are a serious collector, a Mopar enthusiast, a local visitor, or someone looking for a unique classic car museum in North Carolina, the McCandless Collection is worth the visit.
Schedule your appointment today and experience the history, design, and culture of classic American automobiles.