Collector's autos on the move

If all this talk about "pain at the pump" has you longing for a kinder, gentler automotive era, look no further than the Seal Cove Auto Museum, where nobody's ever heard of fuel inflation or road rage. Tucked away in tranquil Seal Cove, Maine, the museum boasts one of the most coveted collections of antique brass automobiles in the world.

An immaculate 1899 De Dion Bouton dates back to the days when President William McKinley was in office. An elegant 1929 Packard was manufactured the same year the stock market crashed.

History lessons aside, there's also some serious dazzle going on here. An eye-popping 1913 Peugeot, with its sleek "boat tail" design, is a favorite among visitors and staff. As for the 1909 White Steamer, museum manager Don McFarland notes, "There are only two of those left in existence."

Perhaps the only thing as unique as the museum's 100-car collection was the man who assembled it, the late Richard C. Paine, Jr., who died in 2007. "He looked like a homeless guy," says Susan Davis, treasurer of the museum's board. "You know, he was a very wealthy man but he practically lived out of his car. He was eccentric and he was also extremely dyslexic. He could relate to machinery because he didn't have to read."

Auto aficionados should hurry if they want to see Paine's priceless collection intact. After the museum closes for the season Sept. 7, 50 vehicles (and 23 vintage motorcycles) will be auctioned off Sept. 26-27 at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum. Proceeds will create an endowment for the continued operation of the museum. And if you spring for the 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (estimated to sell for as much as $850,000), be sure there's enough left in your checkbook to fill up the tank.

Seal Cove Auto Museum,1414 Tremont Road, Seal Cove, Maine. 207-244-9242. www.sealcoveautomuseum.org; Owl's Head Transportation Museum, 117 Museum St., Owl's Head, Maine.207-594-4418. www.ohtm.org

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