As the Ferrari Museum in Italy recently opened its “Michael 50” exhibition to celebrate the 50th birthday of multiple World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher, the racer’s family issued a statement regarding his health.
Schumacher was critically injured late in 2013 when he fell while skiing in the French Alps. During the fall, Schumacher’s head struck what was described as a rock. He underwent surgery and at one point was placed into an induced coma. His current medical condition is known only to family and a few close friends.
“You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him,” the family said in its statement.
“Please understand if we are following Michael’s wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy.”
In addition to the exhibit at the Ferrari Museum, several cars raced by Schumacher are on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany.
Ferrari art debuts at Royal Automobile Club
Meanwhile, in England, the Royal Automobile Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse will be the site for the unveiling February 5 of 25 unique paintings done under the theme, Ferrari in Art: The Sporting Legacy, which celebrates the Italian company’s 70-year history.
Photographer Keith Sutton tracked down people associated with Ferrari and gathered from them more than 125 handwritten quotes, which were transferred to the 25 pieces of art by Mark Dickens. Among those contributing quotes were former Ferrari racing drivers, car designers, car owners and others, including Nigel Mansell, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Tommy Hilfiger, Nick Mason, even chef Gordon Ramsay.
In 2014, Sutton and Dickens collaborated on a series of 32 paintings, one representing each of the Formula 1 world championship drivers.
Studebaker museum extends ‘10 Cars’ exhibit run
Citing strong feedback from visitors, the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, is extending the run of its “Ten Cars That Changed the World” exhibit through February 3. The exhibit originally was scheduled to close January 6.
Petersen offers free admission to students
As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will offer free admission through February 2 to LA United School District students in grades K-12 and will offer special STEAM-base programs on science, arts, match, etc.).
“The people of Los Angeles made our growth and success possible over the past 25 years,” said Terry Karges, the museum’s executive director. “Our founder Robert E. Petersen’s passion project was supporting Los Angeles schools, so it makes sense to open our doors to these kids this month. It is our distinct pleasure to give back to the community that has given us so much. We’re thrilled to give these kids a place to go when school is out that is both fun and educational and will inspire the engineers, designers, racers and tinkerers of tomorrow.”
Special events this weekend
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, hosts a Cars & Coffee today (January 11), from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. to welcome The Drive Home IV caravan as it continues its route from Houston to Detroit.
Pioneers and adventurers is the theme of the spring lecture series at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England, where the program begins January 12, 2019, with a showing of Spitfire, a cinematic account of the British fighter aircraft with British Film Company founder Steve Milne and co-directors David Fairhead and Anthony Palmer.
On January 12, the British Motor Museum hosts the Historic Rally Car Register Open Day and a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the British Motor Corp. Mini. The special event runs from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, opens its winter lecture series Sunday afternoon with “1968-69 Looking Back Half a Century on Two Historic Years.”
“From Gas Station to Space Station: How NASA Conquered Low-Earth Orbit” is the title for a special exhibit running January 14-July 30, 2019, at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the museum and NASA will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Mark your calendar
Another “Legends of Racing History” event is scheduled January 17, 2019, at the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo, California, where a reception from 11 a.m. until 1 pm. will celebrate the display of the 1954 Sutton Jaguar.
On January 19 and 20, the Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island stages a hoods up weekend showcasing the powerplants under the hoods of more than 70 vehicles.
The Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine will show The World’s Fastest Indian movie on January 19 at 6 p.m. as it opens its Reels & Wheels winter film series.
The National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio, will hold one of its Coffee & Donut educational seminars January 19 on restoring a Chevrolet Corvette. The event, featuring Carl Carbon, who restored his first Vette when he was 13 years old, will describe the restoration process and available resources. The program begins at noon.
Weather permitting, the staff from Greg Shandel Construction and a group of tool-toting volunteers will do some needed maintenance work beginning at 10 a.m. on January 19 at the California Agriculture Museum in Woodland, California.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento hosts “Tinker Time” beginning at 11 a.m. the first Saturday of each month, including February 2. The theme for 2019 is car design and it’s a “hands dirty” learning experience using modeling clay, “just like the professionals do,” the museum notes.
“The Goodwood Story” will be presented February 2, 2019, as part of the speaker series at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, where Harry Sherrard, who was involved in the revival of racing at the Goodwood Estate, will discuss Goodwood’s history, from the founding of the Dukedom of Richmond in 1672 by King Charles II to the estate’s history with the Royal Air Ford and the current Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed.
A 1968 Fiat 500 F will be featured as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City opens its “The Value of Good Design” exhibit which runs from February 10 until May 27.
“Pint with the Past” is a beer tasting fundraiser February 16 at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan.
In conjunction with the February 16-24 school holiday in England, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu will host a Hands-on Half-Term event featuring its Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 Years exhibit with students invited to make like Caractacus Potts and create their own balloon cars and then see how fast they’ll go.
February 23 is Trivia Night at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, where the first of 100 questions will be asked at 7 p.m. Teams are asked to register in advance by calling the museum.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine hots its Brass Club speakeasy gala on March 9 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, in conjunction with the Eckhart Public Library of Auburn, Indiana, will host the Bootlegger’s Ball on February 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The 31st induction ceremony at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach, Florida, takes place March 11-12. Inductees will be Augie Duesenberg, Dario Franchitti, Phil Remington, Don Schumacher, Kevin Schwantz, Tony Stewart and Linda Vaughn.
The Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in Toccoa, in Georgia, stages a car club cruise-in on March 23.
“RADwood: Cleveland Goes Rad” is the title for an exhibit/experience opening January 11, 2019 and running through March 24 at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland. Staged in partnership with RADwood car shows, the exhibit will celebrate 1980s and ‘90s car culture and will showcase vehicles, clothing, music “and everything in between.”
LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington, hosts the LeMay Tea Party on March 30.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, opens a special “RCR 50: Only in America” exhibit featuring 50 years of Richard Childress Racing in May, 2019.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has opened registration of its Museum In Motion trip to the 24 hours of Le Mans race in 2019. The dates are June 6-17, 2019, and the trip includes four nights in London and three nights in Paris.
“The Car. The Future. Me” is the title of an exhibit scheduled to open July 13 at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, UK, to explore “futuristic car design and (to) challenge your idea of how we will interact with the cars for the future,” the museum said.
On August 3, 2019, the British Motor Museum will be the site of the Classic Mini Mosaic world-record attempt that is expected to draw more than 600 classic Minis. The following day the museum will be the site of the National Metro & Mini Show.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
