It doesn't matter what you drive to get there, when you leave, you'll be wishing you could drive the display right off the lot. A rare collection of vintage racing cars is housed in a new museum in Philadelphia. It opened last summer and WFMZ's Karin Mallett takes us inside on a One Tank Trip.
  
A nick, a scratch.. worn and raced.. it's proof perhaps of a job well done. >> Dr. Fred Simeone: If it has its leather that was cracked like an old baseball glove or the paint is a bit faded.. these are the signs of times. And to strip that and make it new is a form of actually destruction rather than restoration. >> REPORTER: There's nothing fussy about the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia. It's one of the world's rarest collections of racing sports cars. Here the character is kept intact. >> Simeone: The unrestored cars are the one that we love the most. >> REPORTER: Dr. Frederick Simeone's love affair with race cars began when he was just a young boy.. the passion passed down by his father. >> Simeone: I suspect in the background there was always a sense that the world should get the same joy out of these cars that we do. >> REPORTER: More than a peek at the pretty.. It's a lesson in the evolution of competition. >> Simeone: You can look at something like the fender line or even the wheel or a tire and see under the influence of the desire to win and the desire for speed and performance there was an evolution. >> REPORTER: Helped along by the spirit of competition... There are legends here.. cars that won the most prestigious races in the world. The backdrops give you a clue. >> Simeone: We have hay bails, burlap bags, old tires to emulate the way that races were done before. >> Standup: Welcome to the winner's circle and the crown jewel of the collection. This 1938 Alfa Romeo that when you get close enough to admire.. starts to show off. >> Simeone: I think it's important to look at the automobile as gradually morphing into something that's both artistic and functional. They were made clearly to perform but they were also made to attract people. >> REPORTER: Ready for more than a Sunday drive on a One Tank Trip to the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, Karin Mallett 69 News Berks Edition.

website: www.simeonefoundation.org
One-way distance: 67 minutes
One-way time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
original airdate: 2/25/2009

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