Photo by Ryan Theede
On Saturday, June 13, the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum at Grovewood Village will celebrate its 60th anniversary. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., a free public event will honor the legacy of Harry D. Blomberg, the Asheville entrepreneur whose passion for automobiles and preservation helped shape both the collection and the broader Grovewood campus.
Opened on June 20, 1966, the museum houses a carefully curated collection of antique and vintage vehicles, many with deep ties to Western North Carolina. Standouts include a rare 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and a 1922 American LaFrance fire truck that once served Asheville. The museum itself occupies the former weaving shop of Biltmore Industries, a space Blomberg preserved after purchasing the property in the 1950s and revitalizing its operations.
Harry Blomberg in the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum
A guided Biltmore Industries history tour begins at 11:30 a.m. and at 2 p.m. historian Heath Towson will deliver a talk exploring Blomberg’s life and enduring impact. Towson grew up close to Grovewood Village and spent many a weekend at the museum with his father and twin brother. “The collection and building have changed very little in 60 years,” Towson said, “which I think is nice for many people that return and bring children or grandchildren to have something that remains somewhat constant, as Asheville changes significantly everyday.”
Blomberg’s influence extends far beyond the museum walls. A native of Asheville’s Woodfin Street, he built a career that helped define the region’s automotive landscape, from early filling stations to a thriving Cadillac and Pontiac dealership known locally as Harry’s on the Hill. “The thread that ties the whole collection together is that the entire collection of cars was assembled by Harry Blomberg,” Towson said. “Many of the cars were sold in Asheville when they were brand new and belonged to people that were significant in Asheville’s history or personal friends of Harry.”
One of the most significant things about the Estes-Winn museum is its free accessibility to the public, which is subsidized by the Blomberg family and public donations. “There aren’t many attractions that have survived that long and there are very few free attractions in Asheville,” Towson said. “It is a museum that is accessible and available to anyone, which is something that we are very proud of. It is important to celebrate the legacy that Harry left us, but also to continue to remind people why this history and collection of cars is still relevant to understanding Asheville’s history today.”
The Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum is located in Grovewood Village at 111 Grovewood Road, Asheville. Learn more at Grovewood.com/antique-car-museum.
