AUTOMOBILE MUSEUMS

•  Dezer Collection Museum: Opened earlier this year, this 50,000-square-foot museum in North Miami has more than 1,200 vehicles, including not only automobiles but motorcycles, bikes and even a submarine. For many visitors, the most fascinating display may be its collection of cars used in movies, among them Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, and Harry Potter. One of the larger groupings is of James Bond vehicles, among them six gadget-equipped Aston Martins and a T-55 Soviet tank. Overall, the collection is valued at more than $100 million. www.dezercollection.com.

•  Muscle Car City: One of the largest muscle car collections in the nation, this Punta Gorda museum has such GM cars as Camaros, Chevelles, El Caminos, Impalas, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles. Owner Rick Treworgy has a large number of Chevrolets as well as at least one Corvette from each year from 1957 to 1975 and several from each series after that. www.musclecarcity.net/museum.html.

•  Sarasota Classic Car Museum: The second oldest continuously operating antique car museum in the nation, this museum displays more than 75 automobiles. Among them are John Lennon’s 1965 Merecedes Benz, Paul McCartney’s Mini Cooper and John and Mable Ringling’s collection of Rolls Royces. www.sarasotacarmuseum.org.

•  Tallahassee Automobile Museum: More than 80 antique vehicles are displayed in this collection, among them Abraham Lincoln’s horse-drawn hearse and an 1894 Duryea. Other displays span the gamut from turn-of-the-century Stanley Steamers and Model T Fords to 21st Century Plymouth Prowlers. www.tacm.com.

•  Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: Most of the 50-odd cars on display in this Pinellas Park museum were made in Europe and demonstrate special creativity and engineering advances, such as front-wheel-drive cars from the 1920s. A special feature is the only replica of the France 1770 Fardier de Cuqnot, the world’s first self-propelled vehicle. www.tbauto.org.

•  Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing: “Big Daddy” Don Garlits was a legend in drag racing and his Ocala museum features 90 specimens of the species. In another building, the museum displays 50 antique cars. Also on the premises is the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, The facility stages several car shows during the year. www.garlits.com.

•  Elliott Museum: Currently, this 50-year-old museum in Stuart is closed while a new one twice as large is being constructed. Among its 85 or so cars is one of the largest collections of Model A automobiles. The new facility, scheduled to open next spring, will feature a unique display system — 54 cars rotating in a three-level stacking system. www.elliottmuseumfl.org.

•  Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum: This museum displays 22 Packard automobiles, all in driveable condition, dating from the turn of the century to the 1940s. Among them are a Roadster with a compartment for golf clubs and a 1929 Dual Cowl Phaeton that self-lubricates as it is driven. www.antiquecarmuseum.org.