Our weekly roundup of news and notes from car museums
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will host Bruce Meyer’s All-American Cruise-In celebrating Carroll Shelby and the Ford v Ferrari movie at 8 a.m. on January 26. The car show will be followed by an all-star Shelby panel presentation at 10 a.m.
“The Petersen hosts a themed cruise-in the last Sunday of every month,” the museum said in a news release. “This month, cruise-in attendees will see a wide selection of classic and modern American performance and custom cars with a massive turnout of original Cobras, Shelby vehicles, continuation cars and more.
“All American cars are welcome, but special parking will be provided for Shelby vehicles.”
“Each month, our breakfast club cruise-ins gather enthusiasts from every corner of Los Angeles for a morning of conversation, laughter and some truly amazing cars,” Terry Karges, the museum’s executive director was quoted. “Bruce Meyer’s American Car Cruise-in will deliver all that and more.”
The more will be a panel discussion focused on the early days of Shelby American and events leading up to and featured in the Ford v Ferrari movie.
Charles Agapiou 
A.J. Baime
Car collector and museum board member Bruce Meyer will moderate a panel that includes:
- A.J. Baime, author of Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans.
- Charles Agapiou, Shelby chief mechanic and crew chief for the Ford GT40 driven by Ken Miles.
- Peter Miles, son of Ken Miles and former mechanic for Troutman and Barnes, Precision Performance and crew chief for Ivan Stewart’s off-road team.
- Aaron Shelby, one of Carroll Shelby’s grandsons.
- Peter Brock, Shelby Daytona Coupe designer.
- Alan Grant, former Shelby American driver.
- Lenny Shabes, television producer and director.
Mustang Owner’s Museum moves
The Mustang Owner’s Museum has moved to a new location — 4005 Dearborn Place in Concord, North Carolina — directly across the street from its previous place.
“We made the decision to move to a location that will allow us to grow long term,” the museum said in its announcement. “Many of the future plans and goals would not be attainable at the previous location.”
Special events this weekend
The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, opens the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-curated “Glory Road” exhibit on January 11. The exhibit features 18 race cars selected by the former racing star on the museum’s banked and elevated oval track.
The British Motor Museum at Gaydon hosts the Historic Rally Car Register’s Open Day on January 11 as the HRCR celebrates the 60th anniversary of the RAC’s first use of forest stages. The day at the museum will showcase “how that diversification has led to a full and multi-disciplined sport today” and will feature rally co-driver Mike Broad in a series of forums covering the various aspects of rallying.
The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island plans a “Hoods Up” weekend January 11-12 with engines exposed on more than 70 cars.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, has set the schedule for its 7th annual Winter Lecture Series, which begins at 3 p.m. on January 12, with “The Polar Bears of WWI, A Michigan Connection” featuring historian Mike Grobbel. Collector Kevin Fleck will present “Cole Motor Company – The Standardized Car” on January 19. The series runs through April 26. To see the full schedule, visit the museum website.
Mark your calendar
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, offers a brown-bag lunch program, “If Cars Could Talk in 1939,” a presentation by Vic Varkonyi about the state of automotive technology in the pre-war era, beginning January 14 at 11:30 a.m.
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in northeast Indiana hosts its annual “Duesy of a Day” bridal show January 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
On January 18, from noon until 4 p.m., the LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, plans a family pinewood derby car racing program as part of its Steam Day exploring science and math.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts authors Joseph Lesser and Marc Wanmaker from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on January 18 and their book Hollywood’s Trains & Trolleys.
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia features British cars — a 1927 Bentley 3-Liter Speed, 1934 MG K3 Magnette and 1953 Jaguar C-type — at its England at Le Mans Demo Day from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on January 25.
January 26 will be a Family Sunday at the BMW Museum in Germany, where from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. the museum becomes a MakerSpace with families learning about 3D printing and with children 8-and-older printing 3D pens.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, hosts its annual Pint with the Past fund-raising gala on February 15 from 7 to 10 p.m.
The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, California, plans at Grand Re-opening Party for February 22 to celebrate its new location.
Tacoma, Washington, museums including LeMay – America’s Car Museum, plan a special K-12 educator workshop exploring science, technology, engineering, art and math on February 29.
“Drive the Blues Away” with a “Viva Las Vegas” night March 13 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum near Charlotte, North Carolina, is making plans for National Mustang Day with several days of activities, including a test and tune on April 16, at Mooresville Dragway; a driver’s choice cruise to various NASCAR race shops or to a winery, distillery and brewery before the Mustang Hall of Fame induction on April 17; a “day at the museum” program on April 18; and a cruise to Mustang specialist Innovative Performance Technologies on April 19.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, re-opens its Performance Gallery on April 22. The gallery closed on November 20 for “a much-needed refresh.”
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
