A 1927 Duesenberg Model Y Phaeton prototype believed to be the only such surviving example will be displayed at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in northeast Indiana under a 2-year loan. The rare vehicle is owned by Bob Becker of Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada.
“Having this prototype in the showroom next to the Duesenberg Model X and J will allow visitors to visualize the full evolution in design of Duesenberg automobiles leading up to the Model J,” said museum curator Sam Grate.
Already successful in auto racing, the Duesenberg brothers launched their road car company with the Model A and followed with the Model X. They built Model Y prototypes in 1927 as they prepared to produce the famed Model J, which was unveiled at the New York auto show in December 1928.
“During the prototype design process several different engine configurations were built, but it’s believed that only one car was finished,” the museum said. “The body that survives is believed to have been built as an in-house prototype, and because they were prototypes, the Duesenberg brothers were tasked with destroying all the engines and chassis.
However, “The youngest of the Duesenberg brothers, August, decided to keep the in-house body that was built and had it mounted on a current Model A chassis along with a set of Stutz wheels creating the automobile that survives today.”
‘Sinkhole’ Corvette joins car show on aircraft carrier
The 1962 Chevrolet Corvette restored after being swallowed by the sinkhole that opened beneath the Skydome at the National Corvette Museum will be displayed October 5-6 on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Lexington aircraft carrier on Corpus Christi Bay near the Texas State Aquarium.
“This is an opportunity to not only share the sinkhole story outside of the museum, but an opportunity to showcase and educate people on how the museum is able to preserve and care for the collections of the museum,” said Derek Moore, director of collections and curator.
“Participation in this final car show on the U.S.S. Lexington adds yet another piece of history to our 1962 Corvette.”
The show will be the 11th and final such event on the carrier. The museum’s Corvette will be given the honor of being the final car driven onto the flight deck for the show.
The car and, in fact, the entire show are being staged in honor of Bill Thomas, a museum member who has been involved in the show on the flight deck since its start. Thomas, who has been diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, was offered a spot at the show and asked the museum about displaying the sinkhole car.
The Lexington is a World War II-vintage Essex Class carrier commissioned in 1943. It was decommissioned in 1991. Its flight deck has room for 350 cars.
Petersen to auction Ford GT
The Petersen Automotive Museum’s 25th anniversary gala on October 5 in Los Angeles will have a theme of “Celebrating Silver, Going for Gold” but that doesn’t mean the winning bidder has to select either silver or gold as the color on a new Ford GT that will be auctioned to benefit the museum foundation.
One of the last public allocations for a new Ford GT will be up for auction at the gala, and the winning bidder not only gets a car but can specify its trim and paint.
The car is being donated by Ford Motor Company, which along with the Ford family is being honored at the gala for its contributions to the auto industry and American culture.
RM Sotheby’s will handle the Ford GT sale and bidding will be open to those attending the event as well as via telephone, online and absentee offers.
Petersen extends Jessi Combs exhibit
With support from BFGoodrich, the Petersen also announced that it will extend its tribute exhibition to the late Jessi Combs through October 3.
“Thanks to her many fans, ‘Jessi Combs: Life at Full Speed’ has been an incredible success for both the museum and The Jessi Combs Foundation,” said the museum’s executive director Terry Karges. “Jessi inspired many people in our community, and her influence is evident in the overwhelming response that this exhibit has received so far.”
The exhibit is located “Jessi Combs: Life at Full Speed” is free to the general public. Visitors are still required to pay standard general admission prices if they would like to view other Petersen Automotive Museum exhibitions.
The exhibit is located in the museum’s William Connor Penthouse and is open for viewing without having to pay the museum’s usual admission fee, although visitors are asked to make a donation to the Combs Foundation.
Indy museum offers special showing
The first 75 people to register will get a special “Over the Ropes/Under the Hood” tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 15.
Museum experts — including Louis “Sonny” Meyer Jr., Wilbur Shaw’s son Bill, and longtime Indy racing chief mechanic Mike Devin — will host up-close visits with the Marmon Wasp, 1928 Miller, 1939/40 Boyle Special, a Chip Ganassi Racing cutaway car, a modern Indy car and a few others.
For more information, contact [email protected].
Beaulieu seeks trustees as 50th anniversary approaches
The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England, was founded in 1972 by Edward, Lord Montagu and has become known for its innovative events and its 250-vehicle collection.
But like many car museums, “We are at an interesting point in our history, as we approach our 50th year and look to the future,” said chief executive Russell Bowman. “We would like to recruit new trustees and advisors who will bring fresh enthusiasm and expertise to take us from strength to strength.”
And thus the museum has put out the call for potential trustees and advisors to help take it forward. Interested parties should email Anna-Marie.O’[email protected].
Special events this weekend
“Nuvolari — The Flying Mantuan” will be the theme of Demo Day on September 28 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, where a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, 1926 Bugatti Type 35, 1934 MG K3 Magnette and 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS will be exercised in the museum parking lot.
September 29 is “Batman Day and Lamborghini Cruise-In” at the Petersen Automotive Museum beginning at 8 a.m. in Los Angeles. As part of the event, the museum will feature the Lego Batcycle usually stored in its Vault.
The LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington, has added one more Model T Experience event to its schedule for September 29. The program includes driving a Model T on the Marymount grounds. For details, visit the Lane Collections website.
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, stages its monthly auto flea market from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. on September 29.
Mark your calendar
The Audrain Auto Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, will host the inaugural Audrain’s Newport Concours & Motor Week from October 3-6 with car collector and new Newport resident Jay Leno as chairman of the inaugural motor week and with his TV show partner and well-known vehicle valuation expert Donald Osborne as chairman for the concours. Also during “motor week,” the Newport Car Museum will have extended hours, open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily from October 2-6.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine hosts Arcadia National Park artist-in-residence Rob Pollen to stage a “Sketch A Ride: Drawing Class” on October 5.
The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, California, resumes its “Muscles & Mojo” morning car shows on October 6.
Bonhams will stage its eighth annual collector motorcars and automobilia auction on October 7 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. For details, visit the auction website.
The AACA Library in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is holding a yard sale from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on October 8 in conjunction with its move to a new building. All book prices will be reduced 20 percent during the sale, and several special bundles focusing on a particular make or model year have been created for the sale.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will present its Automotive Heritage Award to Carlisle Events founders Bill Miller Jr. and the late Elliot “Chip” Miller at the Night at the Museum gala October 9.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will feature Bobby Rahal in its Distinguished Speaker Series for Fall 2019 on October 9. Michael Andretti will be the speaker on November 6.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine hosts a two- and three-wheeler Cars & Coffee event from 9 a.m. until noon on October 12.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, stages its Night at the Museum gala on October 13. The theme is “Diamonds in Danville.”
It’s the “Tractors & Brews” party night at 6 p.m. on October 18 at the California Agriculture Museum in Woodland.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts author Patrick Kelley and his Imagine! Automobile Concept Art from the 1930s to the 1980s from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on October 19.
An All-British Motor Show will be staged October 20 at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California.
The Revs Institute and Collier Collection in Naples, Florida, will host its inaugural Cars & Coffee at Revs from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. on October 26.
October 27 is the third annual Legends Day at the North East Motor Sports Museum in Loudon, New Hampshire, where Ollie Silva, Bentley Warren and Ed West will be honored in a ceremony beginning at 11 a.m.
The British Motor Museum at Gaydon hosts the 11th “Large Model Aircraft Show” on October 27 with more than 100 large radio-controlled model aircraft on display in the annual indoor showcase. Modeling workshops also will be offered.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine closes for the winter season on October 31.
“Legends of Speed,” a showcase of nearly two dozen historic racing cars, opens November 2 at the Phoenix Art Museum.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento joins with the Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association to offer “An Evening with Tom Matano, The Father of the Miata” at 7 p.m. on November 2.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, will offer free admission to veterans from November 7-11.
The LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington, stages its annual benefit dinner and sock hop dance from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on November 16.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
Lovely old BMW