The most unusual aspect of the recently opened American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne – aside from its magnificent collection of mint-condition cars and trucks – is that the facility only opens its doors for nonprofit fundraisers, car activities and educational opportunities. Its opening fundraiser in October benefitted the American Cancer Society and it’s been nonstop ever since.
“We’re not open to the public and we have no plans to be open to the public,” says owner Mark Pieloch, who has residences in both Orchid Island and Melbourne Beach. “We really want to focus on being a destination property. The goal of hosting the fundraisers is to raise at least $1 million for local charities. Looking at the events we have on schedule we’re easily going to meet our goal.”
On Saturday, Feb. 25, Treasure Coast Community Health will be the first nonprofit outside of Brevard County to host an event at the museum – the 2017 Vero Road Rally Tour Magnifique with honorary co-chairs James and Dawn Redman. Tickets are $125 and will help fund a much-needed update of the Fellsmere Health Center, the first of the TCCH facilities and easily its busiest.
Participants will gather at the Fellsmere Health Center at 9 a.m. for coffee and bagels before heading out together at 10 a.m. for the trip to the impressive new museum. In addition to being among the first to experience this singular opportunity, guests will enjoy food, drinks and an auction featuring books and memorabilia autographed by Brian Redman, jewelry and fabulous trip packages.
Pieloch, raised in a blue-collar Boston family where education was deemed paramount, worked his way through college to earn advanced degrees in pharmacology and business.
Over the years he established and sold a number of pet pharmaceutical businesses and still maintains ownership of PF Inc., formerly known as Pet Flavors.
Before moving to Florida, Pieloch owned a 42,000-square-foot car facility in Nebraska but was so busy establishing his businesses that he only had enough time to invite in an occasional school or car group. It wasn’t until he sold off five of his six businesses that he was able to concentrate on his dream of building a car museum.
“I was into cars ever since I was a little kid. I still have all my Matchbox cars,” says Pieloch. “I started restoring my first car when I was in high school.”
In 2014 he purchased the Melbourne property, primarily because Florida was conducive to year-round activities. Construction of the 123,000-square-foot museum took a little over two years to complete. The abundant Florida sunshine was another advantage. A hurricane-resistant, green facility, the museum is completely powered by 1,200 solar panels (40 structures, 30 per structure).
The museum boasts a 90,000-square-foot main display area, 18,000-square-foot showroom with numerous auto-related collectibles, and a 15,000-square-foot maintenance and restoration facility. An expansive parking lot – enough to park 600 cars on concrete and still maintain a 10-foot-wide space between them – is ideal for outdoor car shows and low-speed autocross events.
But the real sparkle emanates from Pieloch’s extensive collection of roughly 270 mostly American-made classic cars (nine Porches and one Ferrari were thrown in for good measure), valued at somewhere around $32 million. The museum is home to what he calls a “Who’s Who” of American Muscle cars, including the largest collection of Yenko Super Camaros in the world, and 45 out of 61 years (1955 to 2016) of Indy pace cars. Baby-boomers will especially love the stroll down memory lane, revisiting the days of drive-in movies, family car trips and cruising “American Graffiti”-style.
And, while it’s hard to pick a favorite, Pieloch admits he has a fondness for the midnight blue 1966 Shelby Cobra 427. But then again, his favorite car year is 1957, the year he was born and the year iconic tailfins peaked.
Lately, Pieloch has spent much of his time meeting with nonprofit representatives about fundraisers already on the books. The number currently stands at 27 – three each car shows and autocross events plus 21 events ranging from small sponsored receptions to ticketed fundraisers with upwards of 300 people.
For the charities, use of the museum is like manna from heaven. Pieloch charges them nothing and basically gives them free rein with their events.
“We just let them have the facility. What really makes it possible is that we have about 40 volunteers who help with the events; many from car clubs. Without them we wouldn’t be able to do this because we don’t have the staff,” he explains.
“Right now we’re not taking any more bookings for nonprofit fundraising activities within the museum, because we’re basically full. With only three full-time employees we don’t have the capability to do any more than we are already. My goal is not to be over 26 weekends within a year; it was originally 12 per year. Because of the newness I think we’ve been overrun with charities. I think in 2018 it will slow down.”
Treasure Coast Community Health currently has five locations in Indian River County, providing quality services including primary, women’s, pediatric and mental-health care, dental care, discount drugs, an on-site lab, EKG and X-rays. It served more than 16,000 unduplicated patients last year and expects that number to increase by 3,000 this year. Staying true to its mission of serving the community’s most vulnerable individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay, more than 90 percent of TCCH patients live in poverty.
To register for the Vero Road Rally, call Dennis Bartholomew at 772-257-8224 ext. 201. For information about the museum, visit americanmusclecarmuseum.com.