A visit to the Beller collection

[alexiskai]

I just visited the Beller collection, located in a warehouse outside Chicago. They call it the Beller Museum, but really it's just the warehouse where Beller keeps his collection. The collection consists mostly of trucks – a lot of AA and BB trucks, some A pickups. Roadster-pickups, OCPUs, CCPUs, panel trucks, a huckster, dump trucks, ambulances, a tow truck, other custom bodies. There are also a couple dozen cars, including a '32 Tudor that's almost all original.

The collection also includes:

• About 50 aftermarket A and B heads, including racing heads
• Vintage intakes
• Unusual parts, like a transitional headlight bar that has the '30-'31 curved shape, but designed to mount on '28-29 fenders
• Cutaway versions of transmissions and other components
• A large workshop where you can see their current projects
• Crate after crate of body components – hoods, fenders, steering wheels, tires, radiator shells, running boards, exhaust, etc.
• Hundreds of boxes of smaller parts, aftermarket accessories, every possible part; one rare find was a NOS Model B horn, complete, never used
• Back issues of multiple car magazines going back to the '60s, including The Restorer and other Model A publications
• Vintage license plates (mostly Illinois), plate frames, tags
• Vintage ads and ephemera from Ford dealers in the '20s and '30s
• Reference library of books on Ford history, the T, the A, flathead V8s, collections from The Restorer, volumes of Technically Speaking, and several books by Murray Fahnestock such as "Those Wonderful Unauthorized Accessories for Model A Ford"

The collection employs two mechanics and a librarian. One of the mechanics talked to me for three hours about the cars in the collection. He was happy to open up hoods, roll down windows, even hop in and start the engine on a few cars. We spent about an hour just going through the parts section.

Beller turns 79 this year, and the folks at the collection that I talked to weren't aware of any succession plan. Doesn't mean there isn't one, but the impression I got was that there was a real chance the museum might just be auctioned off when he dies. Hopefully that isn't for a while yet. However, if you find yourself in the Chicago area, you should definitely block off a morning and go visit (be sure to call ahead).

One final note, I was told that they do sell spare parts from the collection sometimes, might be worth reaching out to them if you're looking for something unusual.

Here's a panorama I took of the showroom, and here's a link to a higher-res version.

[Gary WA]

That's incredible! Thanks for sharing!How many more places like this are hidden away?

[Jim Brierley]

Jordan Beller is an amiable guy, he is also active in the Model A museum in Hickory Corners, the Gilmore museum.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Jordan is a nice guy.
I look forward to visiting with him at the Big3, SanDiego, swap meet each year. Its alw

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

It's always fun to hear what new vehicles he's found for the museum.

[KR500]

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Jordan is a terrific guy, always helpful and a real asset to the Model A hobby. He is smart enough I'm told he has been smart enough to have put his collection in a trust and after he is no longer with us the trust will have his wishes fulfilled. He said if left up to the kids, the scrap man would be called.

[alexiskai]

If it's true that a trust has been established for the collection, I'm glad to hear that. I'm still concerned about the collection's overall longevity since I can't see how they're monetizing it. In a larger sense, the collection is very much an expression of his unique personality – the trucks he wants to acquire, his frequent trips to swap meets, etc. He'll need to establish some kind of vision for why the collection should continue to exist and what its activities should be.