At the Spanish Grand Prix in 1975, Lella Lombardi became the first (and so far the only) woman to score points in a Formula One race.
Lombardi drove in 17 F1 races from 1974-1976 and raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. She also raced in NASCAR in 1977.
She died of cancer in 1992 at the age of 50 and “her death left behind a mysterious personal life but sparked a powerful legacy of female racers to follow,” the Petersen Automotive Museum notes in its announcement of a screening of the movie, Beyond Driven: The Story of Lella Lombardi and the Women of Formula Racing, to be shown at the Los Angeles institution at 6:30 p.m. on November 15.
The movie was written and produced by Riyaana Hartley and Vincent Tran, whose previous work includes One Under the Sun and Batgirl Rises.
For more information, visit the museum website.
VW, Petersen Building an Electric Future’
The Petersen Automotive Museum also announced a new exhibit, “Building an Electric Future,” in collaboration with Volkswagen to open November 20.
The interactive display will feature five rooms of exhibits and will offer virtual reality experiences designed to showcase the design and construction of future electric-powered vehicles as well as examples of Volkswagen concept vehicles, including the ID vehicle that will be unveiled in a special event at the museum on November 19.
Petersen shares Ford v Ferrari backstory
With the movie Ford v Ferrari opening nationally on November 15, the Petersen museum notes that five cars that played a role in the fight between Ford and Ferrari are included in the museum’s current display.
“The story of Ford’s triumph over Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans will be told for generations,” museum executive director Terry Karges is quoted in a news release.
“We’re excited to see the film, but we’re most excited to offer fans of the movie an opportunity to see the cars that will be in the film and learn about other vehicles that are pivotal to the Ford v Ferrari back story.”
Cars the museum points to as involved in the Ford/Ferrari fracas are a 1967 Ford GT40 Mark III, 1962 Shelby Cobra, 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, 1957 Ferrari 625/250 Testa Rossa and 1952 Ferrari 212/225 Barchetta. The’61 250 GT SWB and ’57 625/250 TR both appear in the new movie, the museum adds.
‘Companion’ cars at Studebaker museum
They were called “companion” cars, new brands created to support an existing automaker’s products. For Studebaker, those new brands were Erskine and Rockne, the later named for the famed Notre Dame football coach.
“Although the Erskine and Rockne proved unsuccessful, the lessons learned helped Studebaker develop its most popular model ever — the Champion,” the Studebaker National Museum announced as it prepared for the November 8 opening of a new exhibition, “Reaching the Masses: Studebaker Companion Models.”
The exhibition which tells the stories of the Erskine, Rockne and their competitors runs through February 2020 at the museum in South Bend, Indiana.
ACD sets special ‘Access Days’
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in northeastern Indiana has received a grant from the AWS Foundation to develop programming to increase museum accessibility for the special-needs community.
The museum also announced two “Access Days” — December 12, 2019, and February 22, 2020 — designed for visitors of all ability levels to engage with new “sensory-friendly programming.”
“Access Days include additional staff and volunteers, access to sensory backpacks, a quiet space, and new hands-on activities,” the museum said.
“Making sure that our museum can serve our entire community is our priority, and we are excited to offer this program free of charge for families and classrooms who may need that extra support,” said Elyse Faulkner, the museum’s education and programs manager.
Special events this weekend
It’s a “Hoods Up” weekend November 9-10 at the Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island, where veterans will receive discounted admission.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, hosts its annual Vets ’n Vettes event November 7-9 offering rides around the NCM Motorsports Park, a showboat cruise, road tours and the Bowling Green Veteran’s Day parade. Visit the museum website for details.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, will offer free admission to veterans from November 7-11. The museum also serves as a Toys for Tots donation location from November 7 to December 9. Bring an unwrapped toy worth $10 or more and receive free museum admission.
The Kokomo Automotive Museum in Indiana hosts the Hoosier Classic Collector Car Auction on November 9 at the Kokomo Event and Conference Center.
Ice hockey and Veterans Day are very important to the founders of the Stahl’s Auto Collection museum in Chesterfield, Michigan. The annual Team Stahls vs. the Detroit Red Wings Alumni hockey game is set for noon November 9 at the Garden Rink in St. Clair Shores with proceeds going to Guardian Angels, provider of medical service dogs for veterans. And the 6th annual Veterans Day open house at the car collection runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 11.
“Shaken, Not Stirred,” is the theme for a James Bond-inspired fall fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. on November 9 at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento, where music, martinis, casino tables and dinner will be have 007 themes.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts artist Larry Grossman and his series of 2020 calendar from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on November 9.
Mark your calendar
The Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, offers free admission to veterans and their families on November 11.
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum will host the Philadelphia premiere of the movie, Ford v Ferrari, on November 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island will show the movie Senna at 7p.m. on November 13.
The Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, presents “President Abraham Lincoln: Live at the Studebaker,” a presentation November 14 at 1:30 p.m. by Lincoln portrayer Kevin Wood about the years 1854-1865. The event will include a visit to the Lincoln carriage which part of the museum’s collection.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum in North Carolina will offer a special 24 Hours of Le Mans exhibit November 15-16 featuring a Ford GT40, a Ford GT and the Comstock Racing Mustang that competed in France in 1966. The museum will screen the new Ford v Ferrari movie at 7 p.m. on November 15 and the program on November 16 will include several speakers, including Lee Holman at 2 p.m.
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.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, opens its exhibit, “Saleen: A Journey from the Heard of a Racer to America’s Supercar” on November 16 with a “Saleen & Caffeine: Coffee & Donuts” event featuring Steve Saleen from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. The museum also will exhibit 17 vehicles as part of its tribute exhibit.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento will offer a screening of Ford v Ferrari at 11 a.m. on November 17.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts Randy Grubb and his book, From Mind to Metal, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on November 16. Grubb built Jay Leno’s tank car among other gleaming machines.
A special exhibit, “From the Vault,” opens November 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum featuring “treasured vehicles and artifacts” moved to the display area from the museum’s storage vault.
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles opens “Building an Electric Future,” a special exhibition in conjunction with Volkswagen, on November 20.
On November 21, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will stage tours of Andretti Autosport’s nearby race shop. The morning tour is sold out but spots remain for the afternoon visit. For information, visit the museum’s website.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will stage a new-exhibits preview party on November 22 in anticipation of several exhibit openings — Age of Aquarius: Cars of the Counter Culture & Beyond, the DeSoto Display, and Cars & Christmas. The museum also offers a Polar Express pajama party on December 7 and Breakfast with Santa on December 14.
A special exhibition, “Cars: Accelerating The Modern World,” opens November 23 at the Victoria and Albert museum in England. The exhibition runs to April 19, 2020.
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia will honor Emerson Fittipaldi with its 12th annual Spirit of Competition award to be presented December 2.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
