Clive Cussler’s legacy lives on through Arvada’s classic car museum

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tucked away behind construction on Indiana Street is a collection of over 100 cars, some over 100 years old. e collector of these cars is none other than Clive Cussler.

Cussler was a best-selling author with over six dozen books, primarily writing adventure and thriller stories.

ough Cussler passed away in 2020, his legacy lives on, partially through his museum.

ough Cussler began collecting cars in the 1970s, it wasn’t until 2005 that the museum opened.

“My mother and I approached him about opening it up to the public because he had over 100 cars, and they’re so fascinating,” Amie Knutson, Cussler’s granddaughter, said. “We thought it’d be neat to open up to the public and let people come see them.”

Knutson added that she wants to keep her grandfather’s legacy going.

“He passed away three years ago,” she said. “It’s just neat talking to all the people that are huge fans of his and just showing people these awe- some cars that you don’t really see every day. It’s wonderful.”

Keith Lowden, the museum’s mechanic, has been working on the cars since the 1980s. Lowden helped Cussler to pick out cars and restore them and has been helping with upkeep and repairs ever since.

“I would go on trips with him to car auctions,” Lowden said. “I checked (cars) over and stu before he would decide to bid on them. So that was a lot of fun. ose times were really great.”

With over 100 cars, the museum can only display around 60 at a time. Each car has a small sign detailing the model and history of the vehicle, while many cars are displayed with a copy of one of Cussler’s books. Many of Cussler’s books feature a car in his collection, with a photo of him in the car on the back cover.

“Opening this up as a museum so people can come in, we get a lot of his fans in here,” Lowden said. “It’s like they’re movie stars to them or something where they want to come and see the car. ey can’t see the character. e stories are just kind of made up. But the cars exist.”