- Simeone started with four cars stored in a garage in Philadelphia and grew his collection to 80, now known as the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum.
- The cars are mostly racing greats from the pre- and post-war era, including two pre-war Alfa Romeo 6Cs, three 8Cs, a Ferrari 250 GT Interim Berlinetta, and numerous Aston Martins.
- After a few laps during Demo Days at the museum, the cars would park in front of the crowds and Simeone would give a talk on each one.
Dr. Fred Simeone, a well-respected neurosurgeon in his native Philadelphia who amassed one of the world’s great automotive collections over a lifetime of car enthusiasm and who founded a great museum to share it all with the public, has passed away at the age of 86.
Simeone was the chief of neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital for 25 years. He retired in 2008 and founded the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum to share with the public his collection of cars and his knowledge and enthusiasm about them.
Simeone inherited both his love of cars and a small collection from his father, who was also a medical doctor. His father’s collection of just four cars stored in a garage in Philadelphia grew to the 80-car fleet that now occupies the museum, which remains in Philadelphia. Despite the passing of its founder, the museum remains open and will stay open under the guidance of a strong board of directors and an endowment from Dr. Simeone.
The cars are mostly racing greats, including two pre-war Alfa Romeo 6Cs, three 8Cs, a Ferrari 250 GT Interim Berlinetta, numerous Aston Martins, a brace of Stutz, and the blue and green psychadelic Porsche 917.
The collection is unique in its approach to the cars in it.
“He made a point of collecting good, original cars that were in as good a condition as possible,” said friend and museum advocate Harry Hurst, who helped found the museum. “While many collections try to restore cars to their earliest perfection, Dr. Simeone took the totally opposite approach—he tried to maintain them in their original racing condition.”
Hurst cites as an example the collection’s 1964 Cobra Daytona Coupe, serial number CSX2287.
“He did not want to restore it. He wanted it to look like race cars looked in those days. He was a preservationist.”
One of the most interesting aspects of the museum is the regular “Demo Days,” where cars would be driven out of the museum and paraded around the 3-acre parking lot before crowds of museum goers.
“That was what made the museum unique,” said Hurst. “You could see, hear and smell them driving as they were in their day.”
After a few laps, the cars would park in front of the crowds and Simeone would give a talk on each one. “He would do a lecture on that subject for a half hour right off the top of his head,” Hurst said.
“Great guy, down to earth, very approachable,” said fellow enthusiast Peter D. Quinn. “He knew every one of those cars like they were his children, and could discuss their entire history, and technical aspects. Every one carefully researched before he would purchase, as he only wanted ‘important’ examples versus simply ‘an example.”
The museum will continue in the absence of its founder, with a board of directors headed by the museum’s curator Kevin Kelly and including Dr. Simeone’s daughter Christina.
“We wish his daughter, Christina, director Kevin Kelly, and administrator Amanda Jimenez, our condolences and know Fred left the Museum in good hands,” said Hurst.
A public memorial for Dr. Simeone will be held on Thursday, June 16 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 6825 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19153 from 3 pm to 7 pm. Also at the museum, on Saturday June 25, you can enjoy the Philadelphia Concours d'Elegance. More events are scheduled throughout the year. Find details at http://www.simeonemuseum.org
Next time you find yourself in Philly, be sure and check it out.
