Matthews Vintage Collection

Inside a huge shed near the Twin Coast Discovery Highway is a remarkable collection built over 50 years by Win Matthews.

It features vintage cars, bright red Farmall tractors from the 1920s, motorbikes, a horse-drawn gig, and a 1925 fire engine. Alongside them are everyday items from the past: pianolas, typewriters, gramophones, old telephones, radios, cash registers, kitchen tools, gardening equipment, a dentist’s chair and drill, and even a shoe-making machine.

Win started the collection in 1965 by restoring a 1927 Chevrolet. Since then, he has rescued and restored all kinds of old machinery — many from just piles of rust.

The cars are the highlight: Chevrolets, Nashs, a red Singer Roadster, a cute powder-blue BMW bubble car, and many more — all lovingly restored and gleaming.

Why visit? You’ll see fascinating, one-of-a-kind items like lady’s bloomers made from a flour bag and a 1945 electric invalid carriage. Many exhibits are from the Matthews family’s own history. If Win is around, he’s usually happy to chat and even play the pianolas. It’s a nostalgic trip through everyday life from generations past.