Revs Institute

Miles Collier and his brother Sam were instrumental in bringing road racing to America after World War II. They drove, they organized, and they acquired — the Collier brothers' collection formed the nucleus of what would eventually become, after decades of careful curation and institutional development, the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida. The New York Times described it as the finest sports car collection in America. That is not a claim the Revs Institute makes for itself, which is perhaps why it is credible.

The distinction that sets the Revs Institute apart from every other racing car collection in North America is its commitment to scholarship. The institute maintains academic partnerships with Stanford and other universities, operates a research library, and approaches automotive history with the rigor of a serious archive rather than the enthusiasm of a collector's display. Vehicles are presented with contextual depth that most museums cannot provide because most museums are not primarily interested in context.

The collection of approximately 100 vehicles covers virtually every significant moment in road racing from the pre-war era through the 1990s. The 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Spyder was raced by Umberto Maglioli at the Carrera Panamericana. The 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore was designed by Vittorio Jano and campaigned by Tazio Nuvolari. These are not simply great cars. They are primary sources. Access to the collection requires advance reservation, which serves the purpose of limiting crowds to those who mean to be here. There is no accidental Revs Institute visitor.