“Born to Perform: The Era of the Muscle Car” is the theme of the primary exhibit at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, where examples of Motown muscle will be on display throughout 2018.
A couple of things separate this exhibit from others that have featured muscle cars. For one, cars will be rotated through the exhibit in the course of the year to keep it fresh. For another, the museum not only is featuring the cars of the era, but the culture of the period with displays of vintage clothing, GI Joe action figures and other artifacts. For yet another, the exhibit includes displays relating to the gas shortages, emission controls and changing market that ended the muscle car era.
The museum also is making plans for its New Year’s Eve celebration which will feature live music, dancing, a car-themed photo booth with costumers and props, a champagne toast and more. For details, visit the museum’s website.
‘Getting the Job Done’ opens at the AACA Museum
Opening today and running through April 23, 2018, is “Getting the Job Done: Vehicles that Earned Their Keep!” a new exhibit at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
“The vehicles featured in this exhibit were all created with a specific purpose in mind,” the museum said. “Milton S. Hershey in his early days as a candy maker had one of the first vehicles in Central Pennsylvania, using it to sell his candy. Maybe you remember those days when the milkman would deliver fresh milk door to door or the lively bell on the ice cream truck in your neighborhood during the summer. Our next exhibit focuses on these working vehicles; those employed to get the job done, whatever that job might be!”
Featured in the exhibit are two fire trucks, police cars and a California Highway Patrol motorcycle, a Good Humor ice cream truck, a milk truck, a banana truck, a Mexican taxi, a REO hearse, limousines and a 1913 furniture-delivery truck, among others.
773,338-mile Corvette donated to museum
Many owners of Chevrolet Corvettes try to keep their mileage as low as possible while still enjoying the car’s capabilities. Mark Blackwell of Jacksonville, Florida, is not among them. Blackwell just donated his 1999 Corvette to the National Corvette Museum. What makes his car special is that it had been driven 773,338 miles, and all of it on its original engine.
OK, the head gaskets were replaced, but only 20,000 miles ago!
Blackwell purchased his car new and for 18 years has used it as a mobile office for his business, which takes him up into Georgia and deep into southern Florida on a daily basis.
He even credits the car with saving his life. One evening, while driving on an interstate highway, a bumper fell from a semi but Blackwell was able to maneuver around most of the debris, blowing two tires but never losing control of the car.
Hall of Fame launches vintage video series
The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, has launched a video series, “Vintage AHF,” featuring videos profiling those who have played a major role in the development of the automobile. The first installment features Roy D. Chapin, founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company and the Lincoln Highway Association.
Additional videos in the series will be available at the museum website.
At least 300 Smart cars don’t take up a lot of room in the parking lot
Britain’s National Motor Museum at Beaulieu concluded its “Simply” season with more than 300 vehicles turning out for Simply Smart, a celebration of the small city cars. Participants came from as far as Belgium to show their ForTwos, ForFours and Roadsters, many of which had been customized.
Special events this weekend
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, stages its last monthly car show of the year Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The museum also has announced that it is moving and will be closed for the month of December as it relocated, just a mile south of its current location to 10175 Tamiami Trail. The museum plans to re-open in the new location in January 2018.
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia hosts a presentation by Chuck Cantewell and Greg Kolasa on “Shelby — The Trans Am Years” on Saturday. Cantwell was project engineer for Shelby’s GT350 program and Kolasa is registrar for the ‘60s Ford GT40 and ‘60s Hertz Shelby Mustang.
The Kansas City Automotive Museum in Olathe, Kansas, hosts a cars-and-coffee event Saturday from 8 until 10 a.m. The museum also plans a cars-and-coffee gathering on December 16 that will feature breakfast (pancakes and sausages) with Santa.
