San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
S.D. AUTO MUSEUM TO RAISE FUNDS WITH RAFFLE OF CLASSIC MUSCLE CAR
The San Diego Automotive Museum is raffling off a 1968 Dodge Coronet to help with recent financial shortcomings.
The museum has experienced some hardships after having to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. It first closed its doors on March 19 before opening on June 19. The Balboa Park institution again closed on July 7 before reopening on Sept. 17.
On Nov. 14, it again closed after San Diego County moved into the purple tier, the state’s most restrictive level for COVID-19 reopening.
“The COVID pandemic has been devastating to the San Diego Automotive Museum. Not just financially, but staff morale is at an alltime low,” said Lenny Leszczynski, the museum’s CEO.
“We have worked hard to not only meet the COVID guidelines when we are allowed to be open, but to exceed them. When we were allowed to be open, we limited our capacity to 50 visitors at a time, which is 10 percent of our total capacity. Additionally, there has been no COVID tracing linked to museums, but we are forced to close and there are no nonprofit museum relief funds available.”
The chance to own the 1968 muscle car will set you back $100 per ticket. Multiple tickets can be purchased.
The 1968 Dodge Coronet has had a ground-up restoration with a subtly modified 440-cubic-inch V8, along with other upgrades. An advertisement for the raffle says the car is ready for “show, cruise or club drags.”
The San Diego Automotive Museum opened in 1988 and is located in the heart of Balboa Park’s Pan American Plaza. It displays dozens of diverse automobiles spanning many decades and has a impressive collection of motorcycles.
The auction will end Dec. 17 or when 3,500 tickets are sold. For more information about the auction or to purchase tickets, go to sdautomuseum.org/raffle.