HUGE Car Collection Tour | Racecars, Hot Rods, Streamliners

Today, we dive into the car collection of Dennis Varni. Discover award winning Hot Rods, unique customs, micro cars, and European race cars!
Dennis Varni has amassed more than seventy vehicles of all types, along with a vast collection of historic and arcane auto memorabilia, emblems, neon signage, publications, artwork, photos, tools, vintage gas pumps and thousands of mementos, from St. Christopher medals to antique oilcans. Some of these items are located at Speed Nymph Garage.
Today, Dennis Varni's Speed Nymph Garage and collection of rare and exotic vehicles is a veritable hot rod museum of classic American and foreign roadsters, muscle cars, street rods, trucks, buses, sedans, and coupes, not to mention thirteen historic motorcycles.
Vehicles include land speed bonneville cars, AMBR winning hot rods, a #lamborghini Miura, and even a Jaguar D type racer!
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[@markjaycox8811]

I was a speed demon in the summer of 1974, with the 1st prototype Honda Gold Wing shown on the back cover of CYCLE MAGAZINE December 1973. I had that girl to 188 MPH coming down the hill of RT 12 into Utica NY before the handlebars shook me to my senses, and I let off the throttle. I wanted 200MPH so bad! i remember my chin resting on the gas tank, and the full face helmet rattling its own tune above the wind noise. The greatest moments are the ones you create, because you never forget the thrill of them, ever!

[@markjaycox8811]

I still dream of riding a Kawasaki H-2 and riding well over 200 MPH. The dreams you never reach, never leave your moment.

[@vincentrolfe1384]

I had a GS250t 6 speed Suzuki on the Ship Channel Bridge, Houston. I had put better tires on it and bought a rear wheel aluminum sprocket with two less teeth so I was running 1,000 rpm/10 mph and I hit 10K rpms towards the bottom of the hill. That little bike was bouncing around at that speed. Said I would never Never do that again. Don't tell anybody.

[@vincentrolfe1384]

Bought a silver/black Honda '79 CBX at Fort Worth Honda that had been sitting in the show room a long time. Was up on LBJ, Dallas on the maiden ride and was in 3rd gear with no fairing and the wind required a strong grip on the throttle or else I would have fallen off. I was going to shift into 4th but I was afraid of losing my grip if I let go of the throttle and lowered rpms. What do I do, I had to hang on. So thought; just red line the motor and the acceleration would slack off and I could reduce the throttle; hope I don't blow up the motor. Well, at 9500 rpms that motor began to reduce acceleration and I reduced my grip to let the throttle return. Once again I thought how stupid it was but there was nothing about riding at speed in the owners manual. My little GS250t never got me in such a situation. Later I welded a Vetter Windstar 3/4 fairing on the CBX and riding at 100 mph was nothing.

[@markjaycox8811]

@@vincentrolfe1384 Cycle Magazine bolted a $2,000 RAJAY turbo to a CBX and with stock tire did a 9 something quarter near 150 MPH late 70's

[@vincentrolfe1384]

@@markjaycox8811 any time you can go to 60mph in under 4 seconds with a 550 lbs motor cycle you can get a Dallas speeding ticket in a school zone for $300 too. BTDT

[@gsmith207]

Mr. Varni is an Icon, not just the cars… Thanks for this! Awesome!

[@KenanTurkiye]

Mr. Varni, hats off to you sir, what a collection of everything about cars, loved it, more good success to you!

[@KenanTurkiye]

6:01 yep! that car loving child in you never gets old : )

[@KenanTurkiye]

25:05 that smile says it all :) the guy is crazy, love the passion! btw ''first loser'' :)))

[@KenanTurkiye]

18:15 my favorite, a great idea that ended even better, a chopped woody, amazing character that car!

[@jeffsimione6471]

What a collection! And it’s just starting

[@marcodebarkingville1827]

No words in the dictionary to give high enough praise to Mr Varni's collection. Hope his family are able to keep it and maintain it into the future.

[@michaeldyer6304]

It was almost an honor to see his cars and listen to this man's experience's in them. Sadly the car world is gonna miss there stories and the honorable men who lived and breathed by the cars they loved so much.Thanks for taking the time to share some of those moments with us. Love how each car almost has it's own personality,and seems to bring some of life's best moments while driving & enjoying them!👍

[@Berven-gf9jq]

The best collection EVER!

[@markbeaver5010]

Awesome collection, I remember Dennis reading about him racing Bonneville as a kid, what a great collection!!

[@MikeBMW]

Thank you, Dennis Varni and Petersen Automotive for this incredible tour and all of the wonderful back stories and awesome anecdotes! What an impressive and welcoming introduction to Mr. Varni's collection by Dennis himself!. :)

[@bradalgra8088]

Amazing collection! Thanks for sharing .

[@carsmartsmedia2324]

The garage at 25:00. Holy cow. Life goals right there. Spectacular.

[@johnh8917]

Thanks for sharing all your cool stuff with us sir! Especially like the fact you took the time to fire them up for us

[@DrParker_IrvineSpineandSport]

That was fantastic! Thank you Keith Reineke for sending this video to me.

[@markjaycox8811]

So many great memories with each car and trophy, dating back to when you were 2 years old. How in the world did you ever find that lil green Pontiac? Such determination! I have trouble keeping my 3 vehicles clean, and the 88 Ramcharger has never been washed as it still sits waiting for brake and gas lines and some rubber before being licensed. Incredible display of the fruits of your dreams, meaning "hard work". Thanks for sharing your dedication and love. It's truly unforgettable.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Very cool, really enjoyed!!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@danielcalvert2700]

I love how his reasoning for owning some of the stuff is "I dont know why I bought it, I just liked it."

[@rexpayne7836]

Excellent content and presentation. 😊

[@mikecarpenter4760]

This was truly a spectacular visit. I really enjoyed. Thanks for filming it for us to enjoy!

[@richardfinney3179]

Wow he's had a full life with cars great video thank you

[@PeterTX]

25:05 one of the most beautiful galleries I've ever seen!

[@thekingwade1]

You would never get me out of there so cool

[@The_BM]

What a nice guy, what an impressive collection!

[@vincentrolfe1384]

Your sense of humor really makes the video. Having a wife that would go along and put up with all your ideas is exceptional and a treasure. Quite a gal!!

[@markcady6882]

Wow, what an amazing and fascinating collection, love how you’ve tweaked the car for looks and to use, congratulations

[@noth606]

he ruined all of them

[@cannednolan8194]

Lots of nice cars with reminders of his past. 👍

[@bloqk16]

Some trivia about a displayed Bonneville Streamliner and the Lakester: @9:17 the yellow #909 Lakester of the Markley Brothers, they were my next door neighbor when I was a kid back in the 1960s in Portola Valley, California. But I recall it being the #360 in black on the bodywork. I also noted the bodywork on that #909 was refined when compared to its configuration when it was #360. And this being a case of it being a small world, in that same neighborhood a block away was Bob Herda's Streamliner that's shown @8:48. Imagine that, a small semi-rural community, just west of Stanford University, where there were two record setting Bonneville speed record vehicles. The death of Bob Herda in his Streamliner must have been terrifying for him, as during a speed run at Bonneville in 1969, leaking fuel caused a fire in the vehicle. Herda being in a sealed cockpit could not escape, where smoke and flames led to his death. That Herda Streamliner was on display at the Harrah's Automotive Museum in Reno for many years, as I got to see it up close in the mid-1980s. I didn't get to know Herda during his time with the Bonneville Streamliner, but I did get to know the Markley brothers, Charlie and Bob (nicknamed "Bones" as he had a lanky physique). Interesting how the Markley brothers assemble a group of friends to recondition the Lakester starting in late Spring; sometimes working late into the night with music blaring from the house. The house they lived in, on Canyon Drive, was no more than a summer cabin, as Portola Valley back in the 1940s had summer homes in the neighborhood; which matured into a year-round residential neighborhood in the 1950s. In the 1950s into the '60s, houses in Portola Valley were more affordable than in the cities of Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Portola Valley back then was an "anything goes" community; where noises were well-tolerated, as even my parents raised chickens with a crowing rooster; but those days are long-gone as it became a highly desirable upscale community; where a house in that region cannot be found for under a million-and-a-half dollars. Those $800K houses (on .15 acre) listed for sale on Los Trancos Road don't count, as they are not in the town's jurisdiction.

[@pasthuman]

The white Mercedes convertible near the end of the video has to be the crown jewel of the collection.

[@327365hp]

Fantastic tour Dennis! Thank you so much!

[@fredherfst8148]

Now that's a car guy! Wow

[@64kym]

great stuff, really liked it

[@dukeallen432]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful.

[@allenmaddux7611]

Thank you for sharing your collection. It looks fabulous!

[@charley22123]

What a eclectic collection of cars and stuff , very nice and your a both a true custodian of all this and a proper nice gentleman . Thank you .

[@anddan11111]

Fantastic,Beautiful,Awesome, thanks for showing your collection

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Awesome. What a great builder/collector.

[@safetymikeengland]

Nice collection.

[@jwrarmstrong]

This is a VERY cool guy.

[@steveogee7458]

I so enjoyed the tour. You have a great eye for "cool". Thank you.

[@safetymikeengland]

Amazing !! Good job, sir!

[@albertmcfry6322]

Sir you have a wonderful collection and a beautiful shop. I can tell you love cars and especially rare pieces.love you enthusiasm and passion. Had a wonderful time touring your collection. You inspire all who love cars,and collectibles. Thank you for a great tour!

[@wesleyolifant3665]

Dreams. Motivation. Thank you

[@w762nato6]

Thank you so much for sharing. Good health to you and yours, terrific dry humour I laughed out loud couple times. Enjoy Everyday Sir!

[@michaeltubbs272]

Thanks for sharing such an awesome collection

[@gregsimon9061]

Fabulous tour of an awesome collection.

[@kesslermontijo6304]

Impressive, yet then again impressive! A marvelous array of the eclectic. You brought back memories of Ray Crawford with the Nash an the Pan Am road races .Thank you Sir.

[@investmenttudor1659]

I enjoyed the tour very much. Thanks

[@djquinn11]

What an awesome collection, I love it!

[@scubatrucker6806]

Awesome garage 💪😎💪🏼

[@jcmusco]

You have very good taste in car's. I am the owner of a pontiac fiero gt, 1987. IT'S a driver and show car. All original and clean.

[@tomp1612]

What a great collection display and gracious host. That was well worth watching. I have seen a few of those cars in person at various events.

[@davidglanister9699]

Think I've seen this shop before. An amazing collection. Thank you for sharing...

[@albertmyers7176]

Great show thank you

[@tomlusty8376]

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@nickandpablo]

Thanks for sharing

[@theariesexperiment4642]

My goodness. This is absolutely incredible. I'm impressed with just the spark plug collection.

[@scubatrucker6806]

I just love his home Garage 😍😍

[@RemiPut]

Very interesting video ! like all the stories !!👍🏻

[@fitzspike]

Great tour!

[@meelispallo9659]

Superb ! 👍👍👍

[@joshspishak9563]

Another great video! The garage tours are among my favorites. Would like to see the music in the background with a lower volume or removed. It was a distraction and at times made it difficult to hear the host.

[@denisgeorge549]

Mr Varni what a dream live u n ur family have had i have nothing more to say than your are a credit to your carsn family

[@neilperry2224]

The Renault 4CV Dauphine. If it ain't dirty ,it ain't driven. 130mph on a Honda VFR 400nc30 JDM Import ..... sweet memories need to get another one.

[@troygaskins2082]

I painted the yellow belly tanker 20 years ago ..nice to see it

[@igordewit7357]

Randy Grubbs Decopod deserved some more attention. Or at least a mention of his name! Way more interesting than a stack of meatgrinders..

[@RandysFiftySevenChevy]

My new best friend, what an amazing collection. Congratulation on all your successes. You're quite the car guy that I would love to meet.

[@nicks9707]

Wow!

[@Crazy-Constructions]

love it 🥰 There is no place for a hotrod in my garage, so I built one for my living room in scale 2:3 with a Jukebox functionality 😅

[@freakysteve140281]

Amazing collection. Needs a couple vintage hydroplanes for contrast!

[@earlcousins6635]

WOW!

[@mech-E]

It would be nice to see the things he's talking about when it comes to some of the unique features of the cars rather than just the panning around. But its so cool to see peoples collections

[@arturoescobaralvarez1636]

Hola buenas tardes espero estén bien les mando un fuerte abrazote desde Tuxtla Gutiérrez Chiapas

[@palidiciovermingagurainia1760]

Nice lawn jockey

[@allenschmitz9644]

What box do you keep the 'I have anoughf stuff' in?

[@JamesAllmond]

Never expected to hear "Cheech and Chong" come out of this man's mouth...spewed me coffee I did...

[@hankgs]

W.O.W.

[@HemiDartGT]

I think Dennis and Jay Leno would have lots to talk about....

[@rbarreca835]

Great stuff even though some words were mispronounced.

[@SAVikingSA]

A Dino with no bumpers is just a prototype 360 fight me

[@markkuahlamaa770]

Thanks This The Great Video & Channel ! I Have a Same Car Channel too , From Finland ! Have : American Car , Vintage Car , Classic Car , Muscle Car , Truck , Van , Cruising ,... #Retired4You

[@snailer06]

Loving your cars more than your wife and getting away with it. Priceless... collection.

[@jkxelor1295]

I'm worried Where is the Mura??

[@numjro]

theres WAY too much exposition, but i guess i still like it.

[@Kelly-fk3oi]

Mr. Varni I have two words for you...Adopt Me! The other two words are Thank You!

[@michaeldyer6304]

The comment section is almost as good as the video...😁

[@sgttombailes3380]

You are like me Sir.. I'm a "Collector" not a "Hoarder". We are Collectors ! Just got convince our wives~~.

[@damage98]

Only in America could someone amass such wealth and not be able to pronounce Campagnola, Subaru, or Renault.

[@jpkatz1435]

Grate guy, great cars, HORRIBLE "music". The guy and the cars are ENOUGH, let's have an extended version!

[@daleolson3506]

The music junked another video 👎👎👎👎💩💩😬😬