Dream machines
Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum takes center stage in Jackson
Story and photos by Page Haynes
Dream machines
Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum takes center stage in Jackson
Story and photos by Page Haynes
It’s a bit ironic that an elaborate collection of television and movie star cars are parked in two big warehouses along none other than Hollywood Drive in Jackson. Of course, they’re on Hollywood Drive — where else would they be?
Inside those warehouse doors, memories of childhood days spent watching favorite movies and TV shows seem to easily return at Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum. On both sides of a makeshift road, about 50 replicas and original vehicles from various shows are displayed as their corresponding theme music plays nearby. There’s a 1989 Batmobile, a Barbie Corvette, the Fall Guy’s truck, the A-Team’s van, the Back to the Future DeLorean, and two cars from the Fast and Furious movies just to get started.
“I’ve been interested in cars since I was a child,” says Russell “Rusty” Robinson when describing how his car obsession began. “I used to draw cars in school and church. I was infatuated from the get-go; it wasn’t something that just happened. My mom and dad didn’t know at the time how bad I had it, but they had always supported me in whatever I wanted to do.”
Rusty recalls that, when he was just a kid, his dad wanted to own a new truck. He finally bought a new, black, 4-wheel-drive Ford F-100 and drove it for years before handing it over to then 14-year-old Rusty to tinker with.
“He saw it one day after I started fixing it up and said, ‘What can I do to have my truck back?’ And I told him that I would give it back if he bought me a Mustang. So that’s how I ended up getting a classic Mustang and later entering the business of fixing cars and trading up.”
By 16, Rusty was making money by just doing something he loved. His father, who had always had an affinity for authentic, odd vehicles, propositioned him to become partners.
“Dad saw me making money on my deals and said, ‘Hey, if you see something you want, I’ll put in the money if you’ll put in the labor,’” Rusty recalls. “So, we began this partnership of buying old cars and fixing them up. We were always looking behind houses for old cars I could remodel, and when we found old 1950 Chevys and things like that, we kept them.”
One of the largest celebrity car collections to be found sits right on Hollywood Drive in Jackson — Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum. Owned and operated by Rusty Robinson, the two buildings house more than 50 cars and motorcycles that are originals or replicas from some of the top films and TV shows in pop culture today. Rusty opened the museum in 2010 and was inspired by his dad to share his amazing vehicle collection with others.
Soon the father-and-son car business was booming. To have a place to work on and store all their remodeled vehicles, the Robinsons built several 140-x-60-foot shops which today are filled to the brim with all sorts of impressive cars. There are original, late-1900s to early-1920s and ‘30s Fords, an odd Franklin car with an air-cooled motor and a fake grill, and a 1930 Pontiac, among many others.
Word got out about the cars parked in the Robinson’s garages and soon, the family found themselves giving tours to antique car clubs and passersby who had heard of their expansive collection. Many planned picnics at the garages as well and stayed for hours. One day, however, Rusty says some Texans driving a BMW came up their driveway and asked to see something a little different — movie cars. The suggestion planted an idea.
“I thought it would be nice to have a collection of TV and movie cars and display them somewhere besides my backyard so people could see and enjoy them,” explains Rusty. “So, I found an old building and launched my museum. Unfortunately, Dad passed away before I opened it, but I know he would have enjoyed being a part of this and would be right out there with [the visitors] to discuss these cars.”
Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum is located at 323 Hollywood Drive in Jackson and is wheelchair accessible. The museum is open weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday through Thursday by appointments. Prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children over five. For more information, visit the museum’s Facebook page, website www.rustystvandmoviecars.com, or call 731-267-5881.
The original 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the 2001 film, The Fast and the Furious, is housed in the museum. The car played a significant role in the film’s story and is most popular among museum visitors.
Museum staffer Gabe Singleton uses a duster to keep all the vehicles, like this replica of Lightning McQueen from the Disney/Pixar Cars movie franchise, lint-free and looking their best.
Rusty says his dad helped him obtain this 1989 Batmobile replica and says it’s one of his favorites. “Seeing a 20-foot-long Batmobile being driven around can stop traffic,” he says with a chuckle, noting that all of the cars at the museum are drivable except for two.
Rusty credits his parents Nell and Larry Robinson with helping him collect and establish his amazing car collection throughout the years. “It would not be possible without them,” he says.
By Page Haynes,
Contact phaynes@ourcoop.com