Going to the museum isn’t always a toned-down or even dull experience – at least, not if Michael Dezer has any say about it. He is the founder and owner of the Dezer Auto Museum, a billionaire and one of the most famous car collectors in the United States.
He’s also been able to repackage and improve on the experience of going to the museum. The Dezer Auto Museum, which is part of the Dezerland Park, offers the world’s largest movie car collection (though not certified), one of the largest James Bond collections in the world, and a bunch of vehicles that are beyond rare and, because of it, priceless.
This sounds like paid endorsement, but it’s not (*pinky swear). If there ever was a piece of heaven for movie buffs and gearheads, it’s probably this place: an abandoned mall in Orlando, Florida, which Mr. Dezer bought and transformed so it would hold his private car collection and, at the same time, display it for everyone else. In time, the Dezerland Park got several upgrades in the 800,000 square-foot (74,322.5 square-meter) space, including over 20 attractions and several eateries, with the goal of becoming the ideal family hangout that offers a little bit of everything for everyone. In the most literal sense.
YouTuber Barrows Builds recently got the chance to tour the place, and you simply have to take 12 minutes out of your busy daily schedule to see that the words above are no exaggeration. He says the entire car collection is worth about $22 billion, which is a lot of money (*major understatement) but would perhaps make sense considering the kind of treasures hidden inside. That said, do take the amount with a grain of salt, especially since the only reference to the value of the collection we found is on the Park’s official website and it’s much smaller: over 2,000 cars worth collectively more than $200 million.
Whether $22 billion or $200 million, the collection is a sight to behold. Dezer started collecting cars many years ago, and he still owns all of those on display, which makes this one of the largest and most awesome private collections in the world. More importantly, it’s a treat for the visitor – or, in the case of those of us at home, watching the video at the bottom of the page, the viewer.
Dezerland includes several areas and a very eclectic mix of cars. You have a Chrysler Lounge and a Batman Cave, an army pavilion, a Harley Davidson and an Indian wing, and an entire room dedicated solely to Vespas. You also have ‘20s vintage cars and historically relevant pieces like the bullet-damaged 1934 Ford V8 stolen by Bonnie and Clyde that became their very last ride. You have one of the world’s biggest and most comprehensive James Bond collections, and rarities like a Tucker 48 and the world’s longest limousine, the recently restored one-off American Dream, which comes with a putting green, a jacuzzi, a helideck, and 36 wheels in total.
For movie buffs, this auto museum is it! For instance, in the Bat Cave, which is an entire wing dedicated to the Caped Crusader in all of its iterations, you will find the number 1 hero car from the original TV series, designed by none other than George Barris. It comes with the Batman cowl Adam West wore on set. Tim Burton’s Batmobile is also on display, as are cars from other big screen Batman installments.
The James Bond collection is also extraordinary, featuring rarities like one of the original Aston Martin DB5s from Goldeneye, the Toyota 2000GT from You Only Live Twice, and the Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day. The 1976 Lotus Esprit known as Wet Nellie for its ability to turn into a submarine and featured in The Spy Who Loved Me is also on display, but that’s a replica since Tesla CEO Elon Musk owns the original. The 007 collection also includes planes and movie memorabilia galore.
The movie collection itself comprises iconic rides like Brian O’Connor’s Fast and Furious Mitsubishi Eclipse, General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, the 1976 Ford Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch, the Octo-1 from Ghostbusters, or The A-Team Van, sitting next to more surprising entries like Mr. Bean’s MINI Cooper, Inspector Gadget’s ride, or Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine.
All in all, the Museum boasts of hosting “the world’s largest collection of screen-used vehicles,” so it would make for a very thrilling day out if you happen to be in Florida. If not, the video below is a sample and perhaps rather bittersweet teaser of the treasures inside.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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