The museum has its roots in nearby Harrisburg, where Rolls-Royce put an owners’ club in the 1960s, located between large dealerships in New York and Washington. After Hurricane Agnes devasted that location in 1972, a businessman donated the Mechanicsburg property for a new facility. The 6,000-person owners’ club, with members in 26 countries and a headquarters in the same complex, is a separate entity but works closely with the museum.