Historic cars, concept cars, Cannonball Run vehicles at North Georgia auto museum

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Where can you find a Ford concept car, a Munga that patrolled the Berlin Wall, a DeLorean that sat untouched in a barn for 20 years, a yellow taxi that completed the Cannonball Run, a helicopter car, and a 1967 Mustang GT500 owned by Carroll Shelby?

You’ll find all that—and hundreds of other vehicles spanning more than a century of automotive history—at the Miles Through Time Museum in North Georgia.

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The 40,000-square-foot museum is the brainchild of Sean Mathis. In 2017, Mathis started the museum with only a dream and his grandfather’s 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

“The concept was to create a museum supplied with exhibits from the community,” Mathis notes on the Miles Through Time website. “Initially, storage and consignment were the biggest push to add vehicles to the museum.”

A Growing Collection

The museum was originally located in Toccoa. But by 2019, Mathis had maxed out the space and decided to relocate to Clarkesville, inside the Old Clarkesville Mill at Vintage Garage Antiques Market. Despite a change in property ownership shortly after the move, the museum remains there today.

“Miles Through Time is a nonprofit, “living” co-op-style automotive and history museum in Clarkesville, GA,” Mathis notes on the website. “Automobiles, memorabilia, and historical exhibits have all been donated or belong to those who support the museum and the historical preservation mission of Miles Through Time. This is not one man’s collection but a cooperative collection of dozens of supporters.”

What will visitors find at the museum today?

Notable Vehicles on Display

1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Visitors can see the 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille that started it all. The car belonged to Mathis’ grandfather, whom the family called Pop. While it served as the family car for years, it was eventually stored in a garage and remained there for decades.

“As (a) kid I dreamed of that pink Cadillac, and as a teenager, and driver, my thirst for her increased. But she remained covered and alone in Pop’s shop,” Mathis noted.

Despite Mathis’ attempts to buy the car from his grandmother, it stayed in storage for years. When his grandmother passed, his father and uncle inherited it before it eventually landed in Mathis’ possession.

Pop’s 1959 Cadillac has appeared in the movie When We Last Spoke, been featured in parades and magazines, and even has its own website.

1986 LTD Crown Victoria Taxi

The museum also houses several cars that have completed the Cannonball Run, an unofficial cross-country race from New York City to Redondo Beach, California.

One standout is a 1986 Ford LTD Crown Victoria—one of the most unusual vehicles to complete the race. Originally a government pool car, it later became a Chicago-area taxi. It was purchased for $700, modified, and completed the Cannonball Run in just under 39 hours in 2018.

1967 Mustang GT500

Many automotive museums display classic Mustangs, but Miles Through Time features one originally owned by Carroll Shelby. The legendary driver and designer played a key role in developing the Shelby Cobra, Ford Mustang, and the GT500.

1994 Ford Arioso Concept

Automakers have long produced concept cars to showcase innovative ideas and gauge public interest.

The Ford Arioso Concept, on display at the museum, was designed with carbon fiber panels that could be easily replaced if damaged. Its rear window and sunroof panels could retract behind the rear seats.

1913 Leyat Helica Replica

The Helica, built more than a century ago by Marcel Leyat, was an attempt to extract motion from a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine. Only 23 Helicas were ever sold.

The museum’s informational placard notes:

“Leyat’s propeller car, and several other designs not dissimilar to it, were an awful idea from the beginning, because they had great big propellers on the front of them, so errant pedestrians and wayward pigeons alike could end up getting fed through a several thousand-rpm blender, showering driver and passenger with an exuberance of gore.”

An authentic Helica is valued at more than $20 million.

More to See

These are just a few of the vehicles on display. Other highlights include:

• 1949 DeSoto S-13
• 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk
• 1981 Comuta-Car
• 1958 DKW Munga that patrolled the Berlin Wall
• 1965 Mercury Comet
• 1997 electric truck

The museum also features more than 5,000 model cars, a replica of the first Phillips 66 station, vintage Elvis figures, old film cameras, and more.

Admission is $15 for adults, with discounts for veterans, seniors, and children.

While many of the cars have been donated, others are on loan.

“This unique exhibit style makes the museum ever-changing, unlike some museums and collections that may remain static for years. This is not the case here, as we are frequently changing and expanding our displays,” the website notes.

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