Para quem está triste com a história do acervo de carros antigos do Roberto Lee em Caçapava, apresento agora a história do Sr. Bothwell, em muito parecida com a dele, exceto pelo desfecho.
Lindley Bothwell e seu acervo. Em 1954 esta era a maior coleção partcular de automóveis dos Estados Unidos, com 85 raridades reunidas ao longo de muitos anos.
Lindley Bothwell nasceu na California em 1901 e viveu uma vida muito interessante. Ele foi um grande animador de torcidas e estádios e um dos primeiros surfistas da California. Formou-se em agricultura pelo Oregon Agricultural College em 1926 e foi um bem sucedido plantador de laranjas e pecuarista, com o que amealhou grande fortuna. Mas, o lado da vida deste homem que mais me interessa é a sua fantástica coleção de automóveis antigos e sua paixão pelas corridas.
Lindley posa para a posteridade em dia de corrida e diversão entre os amigos
Em 1954 a coleção de Lindley já era o maior acervo particular dos Estados Unidos. Por ser tão precoce, esta coleção era composta de veículos dos primeiros e dourados dias da história dos ‘auto-móveis’. Basicamente, modelos de alto luxo do das primeiras décadas do século XX, como o Roll’s Royce de 1911 do último Czar da Rússia; o Daimler 1910 de George V, Rei da Inglaterra; o Lozier de 1912 de Henry Huntinghton o magnata das ferrovias norte-americano; e O Peugeot 1913 de Dario Resta, campeão de velocidade na Indy 500, entre outros modelos de corrida. O modelo mais antigo da sua coleção foi um Locomobile de 1898. A coleção ainda incluia tratores, carros de bombeiros e de diversos outros tipos. Foi o homem certo na hora certa.
Uma das corridas organizadas por Lindley. O local eu não pude apurar qual é. Seria sua fazenda?
Com este Peugeot de 1913, o próprio Bothwell correu em Indianápolis a mais de 103 milhas por hora (170km/h) em 1949. A paixão por velocidade era grande e Lindley Bothwell ainda teve tempo de ser o pioneiro na realização de corridas de carros antigos na América, na época (anos 50) chamadas ‘veteran car races’. 
Lindley Bothwell e sua coleção de automóveis clássicos. Que beleza, hein?
Ainda colecionou bondes movidos à tração animal e, enquanto viveu, foi a única pessoa no mundo a manter este tipo de coleção. Para manter os bondes em forma, ele construiu em sua propriedade uma gare, nos moldes das que existiam quando eles eram utilizados, e um trilho com mais de uma milha de comprimento para passear com a família, amigos e visitantes.
Hoje a coleção é mantida pela viúva dele, que já conta com mais de 90 anos. Ela cede o sítio deles, o Bothwell Racnh, somente para encontros de carros antigos de alto luxo. Hot Roders não são bem vindos e são expulsos a tiros, claro. Teme-se pelo destino do acervo após sua morte, mas acredito que na América dificilmente acontecerá algo equivalente ao acervo do Roberto Lee aqui no Brasil.
A coleção dele de bondes de tração animal foi única no mundo. Tudo funcionando e sendo usado por amigose visitantes do seu Rancho
Apesar do vulto de sua obra e coleção, não consegui muita coisa sobre ele na internet. Inclusive eu gostaria de saber se este autódromo em que foram tiradas estas fotos acima e abaixo são na propriedade dele ou não, e se foi um dia comum de confraternização entre amigos ou algum evento especial.
Para maiores informações sobre e vida de Lindley veja estes links aqui sobre a biografia dele destacando sua faceta de agitador de torcidas, este aqui sobre alguns recordes deles em estádios, ou este aqui numa matéria de revista da época, ou este com lindas fotos dos antigos carros de corrida dele, que aliás seguem reproduzidas abaixo.
A segiur, mais fotos de uma das corridas promovidas por Lindley Bothwell com seus carros antigos.
Carros Antigos 
Do you have an English translation of Lindley Bothwell car collection? I am his widow and am interested in your article. Thank you
Dear Miss Ann Bothwell,
I am truly happy that you found my small and humble homage to Mr. Bothwell. As you probably realise, I collect stories and pictures of vintage automobiles here, and the first time I saw yours late husband collection was a real shock to me. At that time I only had the pictures and no information about who he was. All I wrote was collected from the web. I even read about you and – excuse me if that’s wrong – that you still keep his collection and sometimes open your ranch to selected visitors. So, what I will translate for you now is the story we find in the web in many different sites. What I did was to make a resume, in order to tell my friends and readers in Brazil who was that great man, Lindley Bothwell, considering his passion for automobiles and coachs.
I was so interested in that story that I even contacted a friend of mine, also a researcher of the history of the automobile, who lives in California, to try to reach Mr. Bothwell’s family, but he had no success of course. My friend and I tried to find a web site or pictures or any information about Mr. Lindley collection but nothing interesting came out. If you allow me a small suggestion, consider build a web site to tell your family’s story. For many historical reason and for people even outside US, that would be very important.
Below is what I wrote about your husband. Sorry for my poor English and any inconvenience. If you want me to remove that post from my blog, I would understand your attitude and do as you say. But, I don’t think that will be necessary, all I did was to pay my modest homage to your family.
Thanks for visiting. This blog now is a more happy place thanks to your message. If someday you could send us more information about your family story, I thank you in advance.
Wish you my best regards, Nikollas Ramos.
Here you can read a free translation of my text:
“Fot those of us who are sad about the news from Roberto Lee’s Car Museum, I will introduce the story of Mr. Bothwell wich is very similar to Lee’s except that has a very different end.
(NOTE: As Mr. Bothwell, Roberto Lee was the first car collector in Brazil and build a museum, one of the 10 more importants of the world in 1960’s. Unfortunately, Mr. Lee was murdered in 1974 and all his achievements are being destroyed due to the lack of interest of his family and the authorities of Brazil)
Lindley Bothwell was born in California in 1901 and lived a very interesting life. He was a important for cheerleadres and card stunts and one of the first surfers in California. He graduated at the Oregon Agricultural College in 1926 and became one of the most succesfull orange farmer. But the part of his story that interest me the most is his passion for races and his great collection of vintage automobiles.
In 1954 he already had the biggest private car collection in the US. Colecting cars so early means he was interested in the first automobiles made, the ones from the golden age, as the Russia’s Czar 1911 Rolls Royce, George V’s Daimler and Henry Huntinghton’s 1912 Lozier. The oldest vehicle in his collection was a Locomobile of 1898. He also collected many others kind os automobiles like the ones from fire department and so. He was the right man on the right time.
With the 1913 Peuget Mr. Lindlley himself race in Indiannapolis in 1949. All tha passion for races and he also was the first man to make an old car race in North America, in the 50s, called veteran car races.
He also collected horse moved coaches and during his lifetime was the ony mand in the world to have such collection. He made rails in his ranch so he could use them with guests and family.
Today Mr. Bothwell’s collection is kept by his widow, who may have more tha 90 years now and sometimes opens the same ranch of the family for selected visitors. Hot Roders are not welcome and probably will be shot if get too close of such an amazing treasure! After all, they can’t let happen to Mr. Bothwell’s legacy the same that happened to Roberto Lee’s Museum.
I couldn’t fin much more about him on the web. I would like to know if the race track that we see on the pictures is located in his ranch and if this was a celebration between friends or another special day.”
After that, I put some links for other web sites wich has part of Mr. Bothwell biography.
Hope you like, Miss Ann.
Sincerelly yours, Nikollas.
Dear Nikollas,
I was glad to find your web page on Lindley Bothwell, my father knew him, and often spoke of his collection.
I am researching pre-war electric cars, are you aware of any in South America?
Best Regards, Galen
Hi Galen, be welcome first of all.
Well, I am pretty sure we do have pre-war eletric cars in Brazil. At the moment I just can’t remember where I heard about them, sorry!
But it’s a pleasure to help you. This is how I am gonna help you: I will make a post and ask my friends around Brazil to tell me what they know about it. This will be next week, because I am going to anothe town tomorrow, ok?
About the Bothwell family you may like to know that his widow wrote me, a very kind woman, but say nothing about theur collection. Even more, said it will remain like is today: closed to visitors. I respect that, bbut they could make a websit or something, just to let the world know how are the cars today.
I will let you know as soon as I find something.
And when your research came to a book or something, please let me know! I am also interested in the first days of automobile.
Regards, Nikollas.
Hola Nikollas,
Yo vivo en Argentina y estoy buscando locomotores de vapor. Avisame si sabes algo de locomatores antiguas de vapor en Sudamerica.
Saludos,
John
John, Bothwell is a joke or Mr. Bothwell, from California, is a relative of yours?
Nikollas,
I came across your excellent 2008 blog on Lindley Bothwell’s California car collection and most suprisingly found a photo of a car which I now own, a 1902 White steamer with Stanhope body, serial number 340. Your photo is entitled . I believe the car is also shown in the group photo. It is on the far left of the second row back. Do you know the date of these photos and can you tell me where I might get good copies of them or high quality scans? I believe they were taken in the 1940s and are the oldest photos of the car known.
Ann Bothwell very kindly wrote me with the information that Lindley purchased this car from George Whitney in 1943 and sold it to D Cameron Peck in 1950. Both men were reknown car collectors of the time.
Today the White is in essentially the same condition as the photo although I am in the process of a mechanical restoration.
Tom Goyne
Denver, Colorado, USA
Thank you for the wonderful write-up and photographs. I had the pleasure of visiting Mr. and Mrs. Bothwell, with his god daughter, in the ’80s and have seen the collection now on two separate occasions. Finding the photographs online has lent me the impetus to go home and look to see what, if any, photos I retain of the collection!
Wayne Patterson
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Wayne, you were very lucky! Mrs. Bothwell, as you see below, wrote me a couple times. The collection, as we know, is not open to visitors. That’s ok, I must agree they have to keep their privacy. But sometimes I think what a great visit it should be. Thanks for leaving a comment. If you want to share some pictures, be our guest. Regards, Nikollas.