Car, Art Enthusiast Shares Collections

Story by Melanie Jones

Harry Bayne is a collector, but don’t try buying him commemorative spoons or shot glasses.

More space is needed for Harry’s collectibles— fine art and fine automobiles. He houses them all in a 40,000-square-foot facility he plans to open as a museum.

Some folks may think cars and fine art don’t belong in the same museum, but Harry begs to differ. “When you look at a fine automobile, that’s actually a work of art,” he says.

Harry’s love of cars comes naturally. “Literally, I think I was born with the car gene,” he says. He recalls being 3 years old, standing up in the passenger seat of his dad’s 1948 Oldsmobile and naming the models of cars driving by. “My dad asked me how I did that, and I had no idea,” he says.

Now 79, Harry owns 65 cars, but he doesn’t have a favorite. “Cars are like kids,” he says. “You love each of them differently. I love my 1931 Texaco wrecker as much as I like and love my 2005 Ford GT, which is a very expensive car. I drive all my cars that are restored, and I get a different experience out of all of them.”

His collection also includes a rare 1931 boat-tailed roadster called an Avon, built in England by the Jensen brothers. “There’s probably only two of those cars in the world left,” Harry says. “I own one of them.”

The Avon isn’t the only unique item in Harry’s collection. He and his wife own some significantly rare art. “I’ve always been intrigued by Renaissance art,” Harry says. “That’s Michelangelo and all the other great artists of that period, and I still am fascinated by that today. But I also love modern art. I love kinetic art. I love surreal art.”

That diversity is reflected in his collection. “This is the most eclectic art museum you’ll ever walk into,” he says.

“We have art from six continents. We have every genre of art you can imagine.”

The collection includes works by old masters like Rembrandt and Albrecht Durer. The extensive surrealist collection includes the only private compilation of all 100 of Salvador Dali’s illustrations of “The Divine Comedy.”

Harry is eager to share the art with others. “Art is definitely like cars,” he says. “People love art for various reasons. Most of the time, it’s because when they look at it, it brings up a memory or it speaks to them in some way. So, I guess it really is in the eye of the beholder.”