Eric LeMay talks with interesting people about cars, but also about other types of collections, history and American culture. The show focuses on transportation, art, design, technology and ephemera. Eric is the grandson of famed collector Harold LeMay and was the founding director of the Harold E.…
Contnuing the visit to Los Angeles for the 2025 NAAM Annual Conference by talking with colleague Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford Museum. The museum, founded by Henry Ford, holds a special place among museum fanatics. It is not only a car museum, but it sets out to preserve historical items, such as Abraham Lincoln's chair from Ford's Theater. The campous is also is home to Greenfield Village, where famous buildings, like the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop and most recently, the house Martin Luther King, Jr. stayed while he was in Selma, AL are preserved. Visit The Henry Ford at www.thehenryford.org. (You can hear the street by the "studio" in the background. This might be the most car-sounding "LeMayZing!" yet.)
Eric & Todd continue their visit to Los Angeles for the 2025 Annual Conference of National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM) and they spend some time with Rob Signom from America's Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio. America's Packard Museum was founded by Rob's father, Bob in Dayton's original Packard dealership, which was started in 1917 and was restored in 1992. As his primary career, Rob produces stage shows in New York, but now manages both his career and his father's passion for automobiles, particularly Packards (and Jaguars, but we won't go there) and the operations of the museum. America's Packard Museum is hosting the 2026 NAAM Annual Conference and Rob gives us a preview. Visit America's Packard Museum at www.americaspackardmuseum.org.
Eric & Todd take the show on the road again, this time to the annual conference of the National Association of Automobile Museums, hosted by the Petersen Automotive Museum. During the conference, the group took several field trips to tour other car collections, including Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage, made famous on his long-running TV series. While we didn't get to interview Jay, he extensively toured the conferencees through his collection and was a kind and welcoming host.
In their final episode from Japan, Eric & Todd ruminate and bloviate about their epic journey across the land of the rising sun. No subject is off limits in this episode. As they sit in the ANA Lounge awaiting their flight home to Seattle from Haneda Airport, Eric & Todd discuss Japanese “gizmos” for every conceivable task, including high tech toilets, hotel room power, gumballs and the staggering Japanese infrastructure of highways and tunnels. They also reflect on how the trip opened their eyes to the graciousness of the Japanese people and their customs and traditions. This day, Eric's birthday, started with Wim Van Roy's interview at the Fuji Speedway (Japan episode 11) at 10 a.m. on Saturday; this episode was recorded at about 6 p.m. that same day and Eric & Todd arrived back at SEA at 2 p.m. the same day, hence, the 38-hour day.
In the penultimate episode from Japan, Eric & Todd visit with the chair of the World Forum for Motor Museums, Wim Van Roy, from Todd's hotel room in the Fuji Speedway Museum & Hotel as the cars speed around the track on a rainy Saturday morning, the final day of the trip. Wim discusses his path to the chairmanship and the importance of keeping the museums networking with each other, sharing their ideas and successes and working together to preserve automotive history.
WFFMM Belgian delegate Sebastien de Baere joins Eric & Todd in this short episode for a subdued discussion from a cigar bar in Nagoya. Autoworld traces its roots to the earliest days of motoring. Their venue hosted one of the first auto shows in 1902 and features a wide variety of cars, particularly Belgian brands like Minerva, a favorite brand of Belgian royalty. Sebastien also shares his experiences of the ups and downs of the car museum business.
As we near the end of the 2024 World Forum for Motoring Museums in Toyota City, Japan, Eric and Todd talk to Scott George from the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida, who hosted the 2022 “joint conference” of the World Forum and the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM). Scott tells us of the incredible Miles Collier Collection and Rev's important work around preserving automotive history by building an archive of over 700,000 photos, publications and historical items. Plus, they will soon be opening an automotive archive center in nearby Fort Myers. (Eric's Note: I love everything about how this is about the nerdy part of museums. And Why they exist. And how they exist. Scott is awesome, and I loved picking his brain and having it recorded.)
We continue our march through Japan as we chat with World Forum delegate Jon Murden, the Chief Executive at the National Motor Museum Trust in Hampshire, UK, more commonly known as “Beaulieu” (pronounced ‘beu-lee."). Jon tells us of his childhood infatuation with the collection at Beaulieu, which he now leads in the footsteps of Edward Lord Montagu (Edward John Barrington Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu) and Michael Ware, two legends of the British motor museum, which started with five cars in the foyer of Lord Montagu's home. Also, hear Jon's biggest surprises about Japan.
In this episode from Top Gun Bar & Grill in Puyallup, WA, Eric & Todd discuss their temporary venue nestled next to Thun Field Airport where you can see all kinds of interesting vintage aircraft and they reflect on how spoiled they felt eating Japanese cuisine and how returning to US cuisine was a bit of a let-down.
We are pausing our Japan episodes to celebrate Christmas and family. In this episode, borrowing a title from the John Mortimer play, we spend some time with Todd's Dad, Gene. Gene tells so many fun stories about family car trips and the cars they owned during memorable times in their lives. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, he recalls having to referee fights between his twin brothers in the back seat of his father's 1941 Buick; his first car, a 1947 Pontiac; and his life during his surgical residency in Philadelphia in the early 1960's, a trip he took from Oregon on US 30 in his 1954 Buick three days after his wedding to Todd's mom. Also, hear the family legend of a 1957 Cadillac traded for two Buicks! So many fun family memories!
A true “car fan” episode…Eric and Todd set up shop at a very plush pub-style establishment in the Nagoya Marriott and run a “gemba” assembly line of guests. In this wide-ranging interview, two of the British delegates to the World Forum for Motor Museums, Jim Mcclean from Motor Hub Warwick and Keith Benjamin from the Jaguar Heritage Trust discuss the pride the people of Japan have in their car culture, their philosophy of car manufacturing and a debate of car songs versus the “experience” of cars in music.
When Eric and Todd arrive in Nagoya for the conference, Eric is curious about Todd's impressions of Japan since Todd isn't known as an “experienced world traveler.” They offer some interesting insight on the graciousness of the Japanese people and the incredible lack of public garbage cans and benches…and how completely exhausted they are! Plus, Todd confesses his love of performing Johnny Cash karaoke and his less-than-stellar performance of “Folsom Prison Blues” on the tour bus microphone.
As Eric and Todd continue their whirlwind tour of Japan on their way to the World Forum for Motor Museums, we talk to collection archivist Jack Wiegman about a Southern California private collector during the Shinkansen trip from Hiroshima to Nagoya, making this their FASTEST episode! Listen how one organization is moving to from a very private collection towards a museum model; his particular interest in 1970's concept cars; and how Jack's interest in art AND cars led him to the collection; plus bonus descriptions of sweet Japanese treats! (Hang on for this one…a fair amount of background noise, but a great interview! You can also hear the unique music that accompanies each train station as we pull into Kyoto.)
Join two very tired hosts, Eric & Todd, as they continue their journey across Japan on their way to World Forum for Motor Museums. In this episode, recorded late at night after a huge day of travel, they reflect on their first journey on Japan's Shinkansen (known as the ‘bullet train') from Yokohama to Hiroshima, a distance of about 500 miles, which they traveled in a little over three hours. They also share their struggles trying to understand their Japanese guides and laugh about a major snafu with Todd's train ticket, which he needed to board the train. (Completely Todd's error, by the way!)
As delegates to the World Forum for Motor Museums begin gathering in Tokyo, Eric and Todd start visiting with other delegates. In a Tokyo coffee shop, Eric & Todd interview their friend Darren Cunningham, the director of the Isle of Man Motoring Museum. Darren talks about life on the Isle of Man, the incredible transportation collection he manages (“anything with a motor”), and we deep dive into the famous Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race, held nearly annually since 1907, a deadly competition that could be held almost no place else in the world. Visit the Isle of Man Motor Museum at https://www.visitisleofman.com/experience/isle-of-man-motor-museum-p1291951
Eric and Todd kick off their epic “car & museum guy” journey across Japan on the way to represent LeMay Family Collections at Marymount at the World Forum for Motor Museums. The first episode comes from a tiny sushi restaurant within the world famous Tsukiji Outer Market in Chuo City, which is part of Tokyo. Eric and Todd discuss the welcoming nature of the Japanese people, the food, the interesting array of coins and currency, using Japanese TV remotes and stumbling through our basic Japanese. More episodes of our epic journey coming!
In this episode, join co-hosts Eric LeMay and Todd Kelley as they take us inside of car auctions, both as bidders and drivers. Learn terms like “buyers premium” and “reserve” and how it applies to bidders looking for a deal on a car. We also dive into some great auction sound and some stories involving the great Harold LeMay. We also give you a bigger peak behind the curtain of our upcoming trip to the World Forum for Motoring Museums being hosted in Nagoya, Japan. (Did someone say, "Toyota 2000GT?")
In this short, natural sound episode, join co-hosts Eric LeMay and Todd Kelley as they do a shuttle run between the parking lot and the drop-off point for guests visiting the 46th Annual LeMay Car Show on August 31, plus a return trip. Todd spent the entire day double-clutching a 1934 Ford bus. Also in the shuttle rotation was a 1945 GMC “Ride the Ducks” amphibious tour bus once used in Seattle and Lake Union. The Ford, widely believed to originally be a Yellowstone National Park tour bus, was restored by LeMay Restorations and is powered by the legendary Ford flathead V-8 and a “square gear” manual transmission. This bus will give any driver a true workout. (Todd clocked 347 zone minutes on his smartwatch that day!)
Join hosts Eric LeMay and Todd Kelley as they interview one of Todd's high school friends, Russell Trahan, author of, “One for the Road: Cars and Cocktails that Share a Name.” Hear how Russell came up with the idea while drinking Manhattans (Kaizer!) with friends and how he researched the cocktail recipes, along with the car ads and descriptions that go with the drinks. Also, hear how Russell and Todd come up with names for their cars and how they recall the cars they drove while students at Beaverton High School in the (ahem) early 1980's. (Russell hasn't changed a bit! Good on ya, Russell!)
Join Todd & Eric in this first episode in a recurring series as they take the show on the road…or the air…to a foreign venue to attend the next World Federation for Motoring Museums (WFFMM). Japan!!! Join us as Eric raves about the amazing 7-Eleven egg salad sandwiches, Todd looks forward to hanging out at the hotel pool with the British contingent and we get to walk the halls of an incredible automotive venue. We have some great episodes on this special trip on the way! We'd love for you to help us fulfill this vision. We do this podcast mostly out of our own pockets, so we are dipping our toe in the waters of fund raising! Help “LeMayZing” become the voice of the LeMay Family Collections at Marymount and a voice in the international car museum community! Donations can be made to Marymount and earmark it for “LeMayZing!” (These are tax deductible donations!) www.lemaymarymount.com
Its that time of year again! Time for the Model T Experience! Sessions begin in May and you spend the day learning to drive a Ford Model T around the 90-acre grounds at the beautiful Marymount Academy. In this short episode, LeMayZing Co-Host Todd Kelley gives a brief history of the Ford Model T and we hear from two recent “graduates” of the Model T Experience. Join us! Visit https://lemaymarymount.org/model-t-experience/ for dates and other information.
Join us for another fun episode with Eric & Todd at The Hideaway Tavern ($4 dirty burgers on Wednesdays). In this episode, we discuss how different LeMay Collections at Marymount and LeMay-America's Car Museum are from each other, but they are symbiotic in a way that will surprise visitors to both. It is a bit of a continuation of our previous episode as we share great stories of cars in both collections that hold fond memories for both of us. Then, the comparison devolves into Eric classifying LeMay Collections at Marymount as an “orgy of the senses.” (Hey Eric, this is a family show…let's call Marymount what it is…a “collection of collections.”) (ERIC'S NOTE: I think "orgy of the senses" is one of the greatest phrases ever uttered on early 1991-era international live broadcasting. The entire thing deserves a short documentary. It was big on a lot of levels. But I never thought of it as a "blue" question. In fact, I might have been the last person who realized what I was saying. Terry Anderson had such a great answer...) (TODD'S NOTE: Good excuse, Eric. Isn't he funny?)
Join LeMayZing Host Eric LeMay and Co-host Todd Kelley from LeMay Collections at Marymount as they are joined by Pandora Paul, the curator at LeMay-America's Car Museum, both located in Tacoma, WA. We have a wide-ranging conversation about car collecting and creating a meaningful car museum experience for a more diverse audience by connecting them to their own memories and experiences. A great conversation, live from the Hideaway Tavern in Spanaway, WA, all during a Seattle Seahawks game!
Join Eric LeMay and cohost Todd Kelley as they bring the fun of car shows indoors, live from the Hideaway Tavern in Spanaway, WA. With the summer of 2023 in the books and the holidays upon us, this episode explores what you (and your visiting holiday relatives) can see at LeMay Collections at Marymount's “year-round car show.” Hear many of the “back stories” of how several of the cars ended up in Spanaway, including the 1948 Tucker and the “Rat Pack” 1958 Dual Ghia, once owned by actor Peter Lawford and how it may have been used to connect Frank Sinatra to the Kennedys!
LeMayZing! pays a visit to Ball Auto, a mainstay in Tacoma's Stadium District since 1946. Founded by R.H. “Speed” Ball, he later handed it over to his son Kirk, who ran the business for over 50 years. Kirk then handed it off to his son-in-law, Derek Barnett, who is married to Kirk's daughter, Lori. They are about retire and are handing it off to their sons, marking the fourth generation of family ownership. Ball Auto is a car repair shop, gas station, auto sales and auto storage, a very unique combination that harkens to an era gone by. (They also call themselves automotive therapists!) Join host and longtime Ball Auto customer Todd Kelley as he explores the history of this unique automotive shop.
His family name is synonymous with cars and car dealers in Pierce County, Washington. Bill Korum's father, Mel Korum, started with Dodge in the mid-1950s, then moved onto Ford, founding what is now Korum Ford/Lincoln. Bill Korum has made a name for himself as the owner of Puyallup Nissan. But make no mistake, Mr. Korum minces no words about his best and worst cars. And here's the kicker: He attended the Marymount Academy 1964-1967!
Confucius said, “Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.” Join co-host Todd Kelley as he interviews Boeing Historian Mike Lombardi, who found his passion preserving the history of The Boeing Company. If you've seen documentaries about Boeing or its products, you've likely seen Mike. Hear about the development of the 707, 747 and the 777, and names like William Boeing; his first partner, George Conrad Westervelt; Pan American Airways' Juan Trippe; longtime Boeing Chairman Bill Allen, who ushered Boeing into the jet age, and several others. You will also hear the humble beginnings of this incredible company, all from the Smithsonian-quality company archives in Auburn, WA. And guess what? Mike is a car guy! Hear about his passion for Ford Mustangs! And stay tuned! Its car show season! Lots of new episodes on the way!
The LeMay Collections at Marymount is more than an interesting place to store the classic car collection of the late Harold LeMay. Prior to the property becoming an interesting venue for a world-class car collection, not to mention a “collection of collections,” it also has a significant place in local history as a military academy for young boys, run by the Sisters of St. Dominic of Tacoma. Join host Eric LeMay and co-host Todd Kelley as they interview Nancy LeMay and the members of the committee that is preserving the rich history of the former Marymount Academy in Spanaway, WA. Come visit us at https://lemaymarymount.org/. There's some LeMayZING things you'll see!
LeMay-zing co-host Todd Kelley talks to local car aficionado, collector and classic car dealer Sam Barer, who has a special family connection to a car on display at LeMay Collections at Marymount. He also shares the story of his 1929 Franklin, his six-of-a-kind Ferrari and memories of special times with his car-loving father. For more information on Sam's business, Class Winners, go to http://www.classwinners.com/
Join 15-year Marymount volunteer and LeMay-zing! co-host Todd Kelley in his first episode where he interviews two longtime LeMay Marymount volunteers Bill Reynolds and Harvey Widman about their favorite Harold LeMay stories. Todd also adds his own favorite story he shares about Harold during his tours of the LeMay Collections at Marymount.
An introduction to Todd Kelley, who you're going to hear a lot from on LeMayZING! in 2023. Meanwhile, Eric is still trying to transfer files and figure out how to use new software, so bear with him on the editing. For instance, I couldn't figure out while I didn't have my entire "Merry Old Olds" playlist, until I realized we had recorded it off a record from the 1940s in one take on two sides years ago...and I never broke it down into each version (technical stuff, but it's been frustrating me), so you get the salsa band version in this episode because now I need to deep dive into THAT better. I hope you get the point...it's a museum work in progress with a couple of volunteers figuring it out. But it's going to be fun!
More full episodes are coming soon. This is just a technical attempt to clean up and make sure everything still works on new equipment. Enjoy three classic car ads!
Doug Drowley has been researching family history for over 35 years. He is a writer and lawyer by day, in Lakewood, Washington. Here are some links mentioned: ancestry.com familysearch.org familytreedna.com newspapers.com chroniclingamerica.com
Marymount volunteer Harvey Widman talks about growing up in the Belgian Congo where he developed his love for motorcycles and led to his organization of Motorcycle Month in June at Marymount. The events at Marymount culminate on Father's Day Weekend and include time trials, a solstice parade, and hundreds of bikes of all makes and types. www.lemaymarymount.com
There are a lot of great guests coming soon to LeMayZing!, but in the meantime, here are some enthusiastic classic car ads to pep you up mid-winter. If you have ideas for guests on LeMayZing!, you can email us at lemayzingcars@gmail.com.
Tom Neff spent more than four decades with the Washington State Patrol and has worked several years as a tour guide at Marymount. He talks about his distinguished career in law enforcement and and the changes he saw.
Bob Skaggs is one of many docents and volunteers you'll meet at Marymount. He has worked extensively in firefighting, both as a manager and elected official, and laid an egg as a chicken farmer in Idaho. Bob also does incredible volunteer work with the Washington Association of Generals, which you can learn more about here: https://www.wagenerals.org
Randy Hedin-Baughn wraps of the epic tale of their weeks-long road trip from Thurston County, WA to the Arctic Ocean on motorcycles. Needless to say, they met several very kind and generous (and interesting!) people along the way.
On the road! Part One was about preparation...now it's time to hit the road to the Arctic with Randy & Co. Don's forget to hear the conclusion in Part Three next week!
Randy talks about planning for their trip on motorcycles to the Arctic Circle and then gives a short tour of their main support vehicle. This will be the first of three parts (so many stories to tell!).
Eric tells the short (long) story of the Studebaker Avantis that were serial-numbered first and last -- his first big "barn find." And Josh Straughn from Richardson Auto Body in in Hoquiam, WA talks about his 1959 Ford Edsel Ranger he was taking to a show and shine in barn-find condition. (You know how you look at a car and KNOW there is a story?) BTW: Richardson Custom Auto does great work and has been a restoration and customization leader in the PNW for decades... http://www.richardsoncustomautobody.com
Paul Tegels is a native of The Netherlands and an Associate Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Paul is also the University Organist at PLU and received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance and Pedagogy and his Master of Arts Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Iowa. We sit down and talk about the organ as an instrument and Marymount's organ specifically.
Bob Montgomery was the founder of The Bremerton Machine office company more than 70 years ago. Before Bob passed away at the age of 96, Paul Lundy bought the shop in downtown Bremerton and has been continuing the business. It's the last Puget Sound-area company that does a full-time business repairing typewriters. Paul does a blog and sells typewriters on the website: https://typespec.com
The second part of the LeMayZing! annual car show at Marymount. This episode has some sounds from the Lucky Collector Car Auction, and an interview with Zeva Aero CEO Steve Tibbitts. Lucky Auction: http://www.luckyoldcar.com Zeva Aero: https://www.zevaaero.com The LeMay Family Collections at Marymount: https://www.lemaymarymount.org
From the 42nd Annual LeMay Family Car Show at Marymount, we learn about the 1896 Riker Electric car from the grandson of the owner, Richard Riker; we also hear from Albert Thomas and the 19641/2 Mustand he's owned for 52 years. The second part will be next week when we listen to the auction and see how close we are to a personal aircraft in every garage. The LeMay Show is always the last Saturday of August! www.lemaymarymount.org
Mark Greene is the founder, CEO, producer, and host of Cars Yeah, a five-day-a-week podcast and weekly television show. You can enjoy nearly 1,400 of his interviews on Cars Yeah on his website, or on iTunes, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Google Play, YouTube, Alexa Tunein, and Spotify. Cars Yeah TV can be found on MAVTV and Lucas Oil Racing TV. Mark has been a great car-friend to the LeMay museums and the LeMay family. www.carsyeah.com
Like every last Saturday in August for the past 42 years, it's time for the annual LeMay Car Show on August 31, 2019! This year's feature will be exploring the question, "Was the future in the past?" A wide variety of electric and alternative powered vehicles will be on display in the gymnasium at Marymount, in addition to the hundreds and hundreds of other cars on display. For museum and show information: www.lemaymarymount.org There is also a two-day car auction in conjunction. For more information on the Lucky Auction: www.luckyoldcar.com
Last year, a group of automotive history and museum professionals spent time voting on "Ten Cars that Changed the World." Not the ten best cars or 10 greatest cars...the cars that had the largest impact on the world globally. Here are some of the coordinators, voters and authors sharing their experience creating the exhibit that was coordinated by the Studebaker National Museum. http://naam.museum https://studebakermuseum.org https://www.lemaymarymount.org
Ted O'Dell is the Founder and Executive Director of the Hackett Auto Museum in Jackson, Michigan. When it opens full-time next spring to car enthusiasts and tourists to Central Michigan, it will celebrate an area that some historians call the true birthplace of the automobile more than 100 years ago. See more at www.hackettautomuseum.org
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