10/05/2021
Photograph caption dated August 1, 1963 reads "Small part of Lindley Bothwell's huge car collection stares out of barn." Source: LAPL
Lindley Bothwell was born in L.A. in 1901. He was a USC graduate, prosperous Southern California orange grower, a citrus agriculturalist from his Lindley Bothwell Ranch located at 5300 Oakdale Avenue in Woodland Hills, and an antique automobile collector and racer. His 14-acre orange ranch is the last commercial orange grove in the Valley. Brothwell died in 1986 and his widow, Ann, looked after the ranch and his collections until her death in 2016. The ranch has been passed down to their grandchildren as she outlived her children.
Bothwell collected antique cars and created vintage racing in the US in the 40s & 50s. By 1954, he was the owner of the largest private antique automobiles collection in the country. His impressive collection included the 1911 Rolls-Royce of the last tzar of Russia. At its peak the Bothwell collection numbered 88 cars. He served as the Los Angeles regional executive of the Sports Car Club of America.
With the driving skills of Dario Resta, Brothwell’s 1914 Peugeot won the Indy 500 on May 30,1916. In 1949 he used a 1913 Peugeot to break one of the speed records at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Even though this was a new track record for the car's class, Bothwell failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 due to the Peugeot's age.
In addition to the antique cars, he also collected, trains, horse-drawn streetcars and had the only private collection in the world at the time. Bothwell built a rail line and a tram barn on his ranch, to keep them in working order and entertain guests.
On November 11, 2017 An auction of the Bothwell collection brought in over $13 million in sales, including the significant 1914 Peugeot grand prix race car that topped the charts at $7.26 million.
