Since the early 1950s, a huge Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star rotated atop the 12-story tower of the central train station in Stuttgart, Germany. But the historic building is being redone as part of the Stuttgart 21 railway project and the star has been moved to the Mercedes-Benz Museum until 2025, when it is scheduled to take its place atop the new Stuttgart central station.
The star is nearly 16½ feet in diameter and weighs 2 tons. Funding from Mercedes to place the star atop the tower was used to repair damage to the station from World War II.
As one might expect, a Mercedes-Benz Actros SLT truck was used to tow the star from station to museum, with the star riding in a tilted position on a low-loaded trailer. The 4X6 vehicle with its 530-horsepower 6-cylinder engine can tow up to 120 tons.
The Stuttgart 21 project is part of a revision to the European mainline (Paris to Vienna) that involves 19 miles of new tunnels and 16 miles of new high-speed lines.
Toyota, Petersen honor youngsters’ dream cars
Young artist ‘Jery’ Chen 
Petersen award-winner
“Fly Higher with Toyota,” a drawing by 14-year-old Jiawei (Jery) Chen from Florida, has been chosen as the winner of the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest. Chen won the Petersen Prestige Award for the artwork of a flying car.
“Creating art makes me happy,” Chen is quoted in the contest next release. “It allows me to express my ideas visually and share my happiness with others. I wanted to create a car that was innovative in a healthy environment.”
“In addition to being a well-executed artwork with a remarkable composition, the museum selected Chen’s design because it aligns with our efforts to celebrate the past, present and future of the automobile,” said Autumn Nyiri, associate curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. “Her vehicles harken to automobile design of the 1950s, yet she brings them into the future, imagining a world of eco-friendly flying cars.”
The Toyota dream car contest is in its 10th year. From thousands of entries, in addition to Chen’s top prize, nine age-group winners were selected along with three honorable mention awards. The prize-winning drawings will be displayed at the Petersen, with students from Cal State Dominguez Hills creating 3D-printed interpretations of the award-winning works.
Petersen adds to The Vault array
The Petersen Automotive Museum has added eight iconic vehicles to The Vault, its basement storage area that is open for tours.
“During the closure, our team continued to curate our collection and build exhibits to tell new stories about the automobile and appeal to a wide range of enthusiasts,” museum executive director Terry L. Karges is quoted in the announcement.
As part of the effort, The Vault now includes a 1959 Deutsch-Bonnet HBR5 coupé, 2015 Chevrolet Camaro art car, 1964 Chevrolet Impala “Gypsy Rose” (the lowrider that is featured in the Historic Vehicle national registry), 1960 Plymouth XNR replica, 1982 Knight Industries Two Thousand “K.I.T.T.” car, 1948 Bentley Mk VI “New Look” saloon, 1939 Packard Twelve Landaulet, and 1974 Dale mock-up.
Visit the museum website for information about Vault tour tickets.
California museum heading to Pennsylvania
No, the California Automobile Museum is not moving from Sacramento, but it is organizing a road trip to southeastern Pennsylvania for early October with participants visiting the Antique Automobile Club Museum, the Museum of the Civil War, Amish country in Lancaster County, the Gettysburg battlefield, the Pennsylvania Racing Museum, the AACA Fall Meet, the Simeone Automotive Museum, Independence Hall and the US Mint, among other locations.
The trip runs October 2-14. For details, visit the museum’s website.
ACD reconfirmed by museum accreditors
Of the 33,000 museums in the United States, fewer than 1,080 are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Among that select group is the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in northeast Indiana.
“Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public,” the ACD noted in its announcement. “The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum was initially accredited in 1997. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.”
Accreditation follows a year of self-study by the museum staff, and then a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. Finally, the alliance’s accreditation commission determines the museum’s status.
“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance president. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is going through the assessment program.
“We have a large Collection that includes Corvettes as well as small artifact and archival collections,” Leah Craig, registrar and collections manager, is quoted in Corvette museum’s news release. “Through the MAP (Museum Assessment Program) process, we will plan strategically how to better preserve the Collections and make them more accessible to the public while striving to meet museum professional standards.”
Special events this weekend
International motorcycles, the Indian motorcycle and barn finds will be featured when the San Diego Automotive Museum in famed Balboa Park reopens April 2.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, reopens April 2 on a Friday through Sunday basis
The Kansas City Automotive Museum in Olathe, Kansas, resumes its cars and coffee events on the first and third Saturdays of the month starting April 3 at 8 a.m.
Mark your calendar
The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, reopens April 9 on a Friday through Sunday basis.
“The GM Oshawa Strike of 1937” is the subject of the Third Thursday Zoomcast presentation April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Canadian Automotive Museum.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will offer free admission to everyone who arrives at the facility in a Ford Mustang on National Mustang Day, April 17, and with a bonus perk for the first 100 Mustangs to arrive.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, hosts a cars and coffee event from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. on April 17. Only 50 cars can be accommodated so pre-registration is required.
DeLoreans from the Northern California DeLorean Motor Club will be featured April 17 from 10 a.m. until noon outside the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento offers the next episode in its “outdoor museum series” with a showcase featuring the Capitol “A’s” from the Sacramento region of the Model A Ford Club of America.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum has moved its Spring Carolina Cruise to April 24 and its California Special Mustang Day to May 1. It also has delayed its annual National Mustang Day event until July 29-31.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento stages the Cap City Motor Tour on May 1 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, will stage a members-only event May 9 from 9 a.m. until noon, offering rides in a 1964 Amphicar at Percy Priest Lake.
Beginning in May and running into September, the LeMay Family
Collection in Tacoma, Washington, hosts a second Thursday “Cars and Comedy” evening starting at 6 p.m. The museum says to bring a picnic and enjoy an evening featuring local comedians.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, will offer Ladies Night @ Lane from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., a happy hour event that will offer basic skills instruction for changing a tire, checking oil levels, etc.
Michael Schumacher and Paul Page will be inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame on May 27.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, opens a special exhibit, “RADwood on Display,” staring May 27, featuring cars and motorcycles and fashions from the 1980s and ‘90s.
Britain’s National Motor Museum at Beaulieu hosts its Simply Porsche car show on June 6.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will host a “Sizzlin’ Summer Cruise In” from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on June 19.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, unveils a new exhibition, “Corvette Powered,” during the Memorial Day weekend. The exhibit will showcase non-GM vehicles (cars, boats and motorcycles) powered by the Corvette’s small-block V8 engine, including a 1958 Scarab, 1966 Excalibur, 1967 Bizzarrini Strada, 1977 Avanti II and others.
There is more than cars to see in Beaulieu, England, home to the National Motor Museum. From June 19 to August 30, the Beaulieu Palace House will showcase more than 250 sculptures in its gardens and inside the Montagu family home.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, hosts a Father’s Day car show on June 20.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
