Joe Gertler's
MEMAEROBILIA!

Welcome to the launch of our new site: a unique view of many landmarks in aviation and racing car history gained through over 60 years of experience in the field of salvage, restoration and collecting.

The Raceway Collection was started in 1939 by Joe Gertler Sr., a master craftsman who established himself as an innovative perfectionist in custom building well-known racing craft, from airplanes and exotic sports cars, to the many racing cars and boats that came from his shop.

Joe Sr. enjoyed rescuing and rebuilding vintage aircraft (and parts) for restorations and museums, so as his business evolved into a full-time operation, taking in everything from an original 1911 Bleriot to Lear Jet, the focus gradually changed to classic and rare vintage aircraft, engines and parts. Joe Gertler Jr, joined him in 1969 whereupon they expanded to a larger site, becoming one of the oldest and largest aero salvage operations in the U.S.

Purely out of love, the few vintage aero engines remaining from the days of racing experimentation expanded into a large collection - eventually growing to more than 175 different pre-WWII engines. Many such rare items were not for sale, and could be only be obtained through trades, so the collection began to include vast stocks of rare instruments and parts. Father and son continued to restore prize winning vintage race cars and to supply aircraft engines and parts to collectors, restorers and museums until 1990 when Joe Sr. passed on. Since then Joe Jr. has added collections of memorabilia, historic documents and an art collection worthy of any major museum.

Along the way, three stunning discoveries and acquisitions drew world-wide publicity and attention. The first was some 395,000 pieces of original WWI German aircraft parts in a European barn. That acquisition, and its subsequent re-distribution to the world’s museums and collectors, led to the discovery of a collection of more than 125 original paintings created by the most popular aviation artist in history, Charles Hubbell. This inspired the addition of other interesting aero paintings. While it was thought that two such major finds could never be equaled, Gertler Jr. acquired some ten crates of the original company archives of The Wright Company, the Early Curtiss Company, and the first Glenn Martin Co. and expanded his collection of Wright artifacts to go along with it.

March's site highlight: The Charles Hubbell collection One of the most famous and influential aviation artists of the 20th Century, Charles Hubbell remains hugely popular to this day.

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