Rambler heaven alive in rural Colorado
A minute’s drive from County Rd. 21 in Elizabeth, Colo., Rambler Ranch is perched in a clearing of trees on the outskirts of the small town about 45 miles southeast of Denver.
It’s a secluded museum of Americana, a life’s work for Terry Gale as a remembrance of family and the iconic automobiles of yesteryear.
Gale, 60, didn’t plan to own the world’s largest collection of Nash, Rambler and AMC vehicles. But in 30-plus years he’s cultivated an unequaled collection of the vehicles originally made inexpensively for the post World War II economy.
A lot happened to the long-ago defunct vehicles and life has changed for Gale, too. He started with his father’s 1954 Nash Ambassador, and he spent years building his occupation with his deceased and wealthy former partner Greg Kissinger.
Spending 2 1/2 hours with the museum’s proprietor seemed like five minutes. It’s a sensory overload of six buildings, each one more compelling than the previous. It’s located a few miles from the town center and condensed into a ranch-style visual among the 165 acres Gale owns. There’s a picnic area and a gift ship with a working old-fashioned ice cream machine.
“It wasn’t really my intention to do what I’ve done here, with the large, very large collection,” Gale said. “It kind of happened by accident.
“After I learned about them, I really wanted to make people aware of this company and educate them because I think they contributed a lot to this industry.”
Gale cites Nash’s pioneering way, including air conditioning and unibody construction.
“They’ve never really been given credit for so many things they should be given credit for,” he said.
The collection comprises Nash, Rambler and AMC cars. More than 250 vehicles are lined bumper to bumper into the buildings. Several hundred parts cars rest among the weeds in the nearby outside “Boneyard.”
Other manufacturers are also represented, a tally Gale proudly states as 61.
Any collector can long for a rare Cord, Duesenberg or Ferrari. If you’re