[3] Founded in 1983 as the California Vehicle Foundation, the museum opened to the public in 1987 as the Towe Ford Museum, displaying the largest collection of Fords in the world, courtesy of Edward Towe, a Montana banker.

[5] The first car to be donated to the California Automobile Museum was a restored 1938 Buick sedan, a gift from John Joyce, president of the Golden One Credit Union, which is still on display at the museum.

[7] In addition to the static displays, the museum also has "rolling exhibits" which change frequently and display specific types of automobiles like Japanese or micro cars.

While the museum can be experienced alone, docents are available to offer personalized tours free of charge.

The museum also offers "Sunday Drives", an opportunity to receive a ride in a museum car free with admission every third Sunday of the month along with five cars to sit in on everyday basis.