Another Season of the 3 Valley Gap Antique Automobile Museum
In our world of auto careers, we tend to get a bit fixated and even obsessed with beautiful cars. It’s one of those passions that can unite the entire automotive community in a flash: you see a gorgeous looking classic or antique car and you just have to call your automotive technician or your buddies about it. Before you know it, everyone is sharing pictures of the sleek ride. However, as with anything, some people can become more invested than others when it comes to appreciating or collecting beautiful cars.
Some people just love to hunt down rare antique cars, clean them up, and put them on display so that the rest of the world can get lost in them too. One such person was the late, great Gordon Bell, founder of the 3 Valley Gap Antique Automobile Museum in Three Valley, BC, just a few kilometres outside of Revelstoke. Even after his passing, the museum has been meticulously maintained and continues to draw the attention and amazement it always has.
Check out this great video tour of Three Valley Gap!
A Passion for Antiques
Gordon Bell founded the 3 Valley Gap Chateau, a quaint little hotel off the beaten track, which includes everything from a railroad roundhouse to a ghost town, over 50 years ago, and its legacy is still going strong. Not only does the Three Valley Gap Roundhouse feature 12 immaculate pieces of train rolling stock, but it also features the largest fully operational turntable roundhouse in the country. Everything in Three Valley Gap oozes history. Gold was what attracted a wealth of people there in 1862, but the rush ended quickly, leaving a beautiful ghost town that’s been immaculately preserved. Over twenty historical buildings including saloons, a blacksmith shop, a jail and more are still to be found as they were over a hundred years ago.
The Automobile Museum
A man with a huge passion for antique cars, the Three Valley Gap Antique Automobile Museum features some of the most pristinely restored, road-worth antique cars in the world. Ranging from 1902 to 1929, these are some of the finest examples of antique cars in the world, restored to be in perfect working condition – they’re an absolutely brilliant sight to behold. Bell began his quest for antique autos while still in high school, when he owned three 1927 Chryslers. Now, the museum houses fourteen beautiful antique cars, over half of which are Fords – which makes sense, considering back in the 1920s, Ford was churning out most cars on the market.
One of the highlights of Bell’s collection, however, is the supremely rare 1912 Ford Model T in white. Model Ts were famous for coming in predominantly one colour – black. While there was a brief amount of time where red, blue, green and white were produced, they’re exceptionally hard to find even in terrible condition these days, so Bell’s possession of an all too rare white Model T is another reason this collection is so enthralling.
So whether you’re studying in dispatch school, working on cars in your spare time, or just a dedicated automotive enthusiast, Three Valley Gap is a must-see. You can check out their website for more information.
