5 year race complete as Plymouth County Historical Museum displays new race car for Emory Collins exhibit

LE MARS, IA (KTIV) - A rich piece of racing history has made its way back to Le Mars to be displayed in the Plymouth County Historical Museum.

The race car driven by Emory Collins was purchased by the museum after raising funds through private donations.

Collins was raised in Le Mars and was a successful racer who won 4 International Motor Contest Association Nationals in 1938, 46,47 and 1948.

After locating the car, the Plymouth County Historical Museum paid nearly $100 thousand dollars to bring it home.

”December 4th, 2020, we went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to the collector and brought the car to Le Mars where it should be,” said Steve Hansohn, a volunteer at the museum.

Getting the funds and locating the car was only half the battle.

The next 2 and a half years were spent getting the car display ready for the public to view.

”I just would come to the museum on a daily basis with cleaning materials and paint brushes and toothbrushes and get to detail around every bolt and every crevice of the race car,” said Hansohn.

The exhibit is open to the public anytime the Plymouth County Historical Museum is open.

If you would like to find out when you can visit the exhibit click here.

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