America on wheels: curves of classic cars seduce visitors to America's automobile museums

Travel America, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Joan Huyser-Honig

Until I was 30, my auto acumen was limited to knowing a station wagon from a convertible. I was stymied by the term coupe, dumbfounded by people who could divine a car's manufacturer by glimpsing its profile and design. Then I saw it: a 1958 Cadillac Series 70 Fleetwood Eldorado Brougham. From the two missile-shaped projectiles jutting out of its front grill, way-way-way on back to its audacious tail fins, the car was an 18-foot-2-inch eyeful. It had a silver roof, electric blue body, and rich blue velour upholstery that looked as soft as a Polartec pullover.

The Caddy rested on a brick floor in a gorgeous red barn, one of six magnificent auto barns at Gilmore Car Museum, a 90-acre complex near Kalamazoo, Michigan. Suddenly I understood the desire people have for a well-built automobile.

While I wouldn't call myself a chassis chaser, I've seen my share of auto museums since then. Many of the best are in the Midwest, the heartland of automobile history.

Thanks to classic car museums, I now know that coupe and brougham refer to two-door cars. These museums and their enthusiastic docents have pointed out trademark details --Packard grills, retractable Cord headlights, outrageous Cadillac curves--and illuminated for me the people who designed, built, drove, and rode in desirable automobiles.

So ardent is America's romance with this four-wheeled invention that the cars we've driven, much like the magical moments of that first date, have left an indelible imprint. Who doesn't remember their first car, whether it was a '64 Mustang, a '56 Chevy, or a beat up Hudson. Old-timers touring a car museum might recall when Model T Fords rolled off the assembly line in the 1920s or fondly remember their Nash with a rumble seat.

But as you admire the sparkling rows of lovingly maintained show-pieces in our country's more than 100 auto museums, keep in mind that early-day motorists who made long-distance trips had to be hardy. Many of the classic roadsters on display, with their gleaming chrome and Hollywood patina, were painfully uncomfortable, especially on unpaved roads; restaurants, filling stations, and general stores with gas pumps were few and far between; hotels were limited to larger cities; and interstate highways did not exist. And there was no towing service if a hapless motorist broke down in a rustic glen well-removed from civilization.

Only about one in 50 American households had a car in 1908, but the automobile was quite a common possession two decades later, when the rise of mass production and economies of scale made a car affordable. Installment plans and the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties set off an explosion in car sales, with General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler coming to dominate the industry. Small companies disappeared at a rapid pace. General Motors' Alfred P. Sloan Jr. developed the strategy of changing the look of each year's models.

Manufacturers gradually added amenities to lure customers. Car heaters, for example, arrived in the 1920s, while built-in defrosters, automatic chokes, and radio were new options in the '30s. After World War II, the automatic transmission came into vogue. Better cars, along with improved roads and the trend toward company-paid holidays, spurred many Americans to start touring their land, especially the national parks and other natural attractions. This new wave of travelers launched a network of roadside services that grew from "mom and pop" operations to nationally advertised mega-chains.

For some genuine slices of Americana and a nostalgic journey into yesteryear, make a point of including a car museum on your next vacation. The fascinating evolution of the automobile is really the story of 20th century America.

A look back

Some auto museums provide only the most basic details on placards by each car. But you can often learn more by buying books about the museum's collection, joining a guided museum tour, or asking for a personal docent-led tour.

ALABAMA

International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, 3198 Speedway Blvd., Talladega, AL 35160; (256) 362-5002. Located next to Talladega Superspeedway, this five-building complex houses more than 100 racing vehicles. Guests can "drive" a race car simulator.

CALIFORNIA

Blackhawk Automotive Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506; (925) 736-2277. More than any other auto museum, the Blackhawk presents the car as a work of art. Over 120 of the world's greatest autos are showcased in dramatically lit galleries of glass, granite, and steel; no murals or props pull attention from the autos. An Automotive Art wing features nearly 1,000 paintings, sculptures, and toys.

Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036; (323) 930-2277. See how cars have influenced our lives, both in the U.S. and in Los Angeles--a city that wouldn't be possible without cars. Walk through 1930s Hollywood, a '50s-style chop shop, and more while viewing over 200 classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Movie clips and interactive computers make this museum fun for kids.