College Cars: The Academy of Art University Collection

When you were attending university, did you ever wonder where the tuition money goes? Well, in the case of Academy of Art University in San Francisco, some of that money likely goes toward obtaining and maintaining an amazing collection of classic cars. Former university president Richard A. Stephens began the collection years ago and the school continues to purchase historically significant classics, including past Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance winners and vehicles once owned by celebrities, historical figures or even the occasional movie car.
The collection is an eclectic mix of European and American cars from the 1920s through the 1980s. The official story is that the cars are studied by Industrial Design students for inspiration. The collection is open to the public by appointment on certain days. I'll be featuring the cars periodically here on Insomniac Garage.

Here's a sampler, taken at the Academy of Art's Industrial Design building; a former Mercedes-Benz dealership on Van Ness that now serves as overflow storage for the cars; and AAU's display at the San Francisco International Auto Show at the Moscone Convention Center.

http://www.academyautomuseum.org/