Nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota stands one of the country’s most complete premier car collections—Motion Unlimited Museum and their antique car lot.
I recently had the awesome pleasure of visiting the great state of South Dakota and I made sure that I put Motion Unlimited on my itinerary for my first-ever trip to the area, as it has been a “bucket list” item for myself for a long time.
For the past 46 years, Bill and Peggy Napoli, who are two of the nicest car people I have ever met, have poured their hearts and souls into the wonderful car collection that is a museum during the summer months and is an antique car lot year round.
Located in Rapid City, Motion Unlimited Museum is a very convenient stop as the Black Hills are filled with fascinating attractions such as the popular Mount Rushmore National Memorial. So, if you ever go to this area, make sure you visit Motion Unlimited Museum and the Napoli’s for a glance back in time of one of the best-kept secret classic car collections around.
The Napoli’s collection is very well-rounded and you can tell that they are lovers of all cars. The collection is comprised of cars from 1914 through 1967 and many of these are one-of-a-kind relics all stuffed inside a large 18,000 square foot building.
There is everything from early Cadillacs to Corvettes to Dodges, Fords, Impalas, Lincolns, Mercurys, Pontiacs, Studebakers, a super-intriguing and unique airplane car and even a LaSalle and a Nash to top it all off.
While there are plenty of awesome rides to appreciate, two particularly caught my eye and are my favorites of the museum.
First, the beautifully-stunning 1956 Mercury Montclair custom that has been in the Napoli family for over 35 years is absolutely breath-taking. What’s very interesting and unique about this custom is the two-foot rear extension to the continental kit. It is Bill’s dream car and it shows. The amount of attention to detail performed in the restoration process is staggering and that project took over 30 years.
Second, the very rare 1941 Lincoln Continental was really something to see. Decked out in head-turning gold, this continental coupe is one of just 1,250 ever produced. You don’t see too many 1941 Lincolns and when you do, seeing one in this color is something you don’t forget.
In addition to the museum cars, there are several project vehicles and restored cars for sale on the lot, so don’t forget to take a look at those before leaving. You never know, you might find a project to stuff into your garage on your way home!
Bill and Peggy have been advertising customers with Auto Round-Up Publications for many years and have bought and sold many vehicles through our magazines. They are a very valuable source for collector cars and the hobby. And, don’t forget that Motion Unlimited will buy, sell and trade with shipping available.
I hope you enjoyed my feature as much as I enjoyed reliving it. A big thank you goes out to Bill and Peggy for giving us a car museum tour we will never forget!
For more information, call 605-348-7373 or visit www.motionoldcars.com today.