Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, Military vehicle museum in Portola Valley, US.
The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation was a collection of over 200 armored fighting vehicles housed in a 48,000-square-foot exhibition space on the 470-acre Pony Tracks Ranch in Portola Valley, California. The oldest vehicle was a World War I M1917 light tank. The collection closed in 2018 and most vehicles moved to the American Heritage Museum in Stow, Massachusetts.
The museum began in 1998 with a single M3A1 Scout Car and grew gradually into one of the largest private collections of military vehicles. Over the years, dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other combat vehicles from different countries and eras were added to the collection.
The collection began with an unrestored M3A1 Scout Car, and the first two tanks arrived at the ranch in 1983. In 2012 the foundation formed Boy Scouts of America Venturing Crew 551, whose members helped restore vehicles and gave tours and presentations about armored vehicles. The ranch had once belonged to San Francisco mayor and California governor "Sunny Jim" Rolph.
Visitors needed to make advance reservations to attend Saturday tours, and knowledgeable guides led them through the facility. The guides explained the technical features and history of each vehicle in detail.
The collection began with an unrestored M3A1 Scout Car, and the first two tanks arrived at the ranch in 1983; by 1988 there were five armored vehicles. In 2012 the foundation formed Boy Scouts Venturing Crew 551, whose members helped restore vehicles and gave tours and presentations.
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