Published: May 24, 2017, 2:25 AM
Updated: November 21, 2021, 3:11 PM
An eclectic collection of Americana
The automotive collection of The Henry Ford museum is an eclectic mix of vehicles that ranges from horseless carriages to presidential limousines and everything in between, all in the context of their impact on American life.
By Gerry Malloy
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Exploded Model T
The mission of the museum is to educate, which is the reason behind exhibits such as this exploded Ford Model T, showing all its major parts and how they fit together.
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Driving America
The theme of the automotive exhibit within the multi-faceted museum is "Driving America" - a three-dimensional treatise on the automobile and its impact on American life in all its forms, including the customized '50s-era Mercury shown here.
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'56 Chevy under the Golden Arches
Reinforcing the connection between the car and American society, many of the vehicles are displayed alongside iconic American symbols, like this 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible beneath McDonald's Golden Arches.
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1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale
Unlike many auto museums that focus primarily on cars of the Grand Classic era, The Henry Ford collection paints on a much broader canvas. Luxury cars are not ignored, however, as illustrated by this 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Convertible, one of the most magnificent cars ever, of which only six were built.
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1967 Ford GT Mk IV
Of course, there are race cars, including this 1967 Ford GT Mk IV – the first all-American car and team to win the 24-Hours-of-Le Mans, driven by A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney.
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Timeline of the automobile in America
At the core of the exhibit, however, is a timeline of the automobile in America, featuring key models in the evolution of the car from Henry Ford's first Quadricycle through the 1990s.
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1896 Ford Quadricycle
As the museum is careful to point out, Henry Ford did not invent the car - several others were experimenting with various forms of the automobile even before he was. But he did invent this car, his first, called the Quadricycle, which he built it in 1896. Several experimental cars and two failed companies later he established the Ford Motor Company.
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1914 Ford Model T Touring Car
The height of Ford's success came with the Model T, introduced in 1908. This 1914 model was built in the first year of Ford's adoption of the moving assembly line and like all Model Ts of that era it is painted black, just one of the many cost-saving measures introduced with that process.
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1908 Ford Model S Roadster
Contrary to popular belief, bright colors were the norm on Ford cars, including Model Ts, prior to 1914. As shown on this 1908 Model S, they included bright red.
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1943 Willys Jeep
Among the most significant vehicles on the timeline is this 1943 Willys Jeep, designed and built specifically for use by the American Army in WWII. Ford also produced Jeeps to the same specification for the war effort.
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Volkswagen Beetle
Ironically, perhaps, one of the most significant cars of the next decade was the German Volkswagen Beetle, the impact of which ultimately changed the direction of the American auto industry.
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1960 Chevrolet Corvair
One of the direct results of the Beetle invasion was General Motors' development of the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair, introduced in 1959 as a 1960 model. It subsequently became the focus of a safety investigation by Ralph Nader that ultimately triggered the establishment of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in the U.S.
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1968 Mercury Cougar Coupe
The 1960s were a decade of style in the American auto industry, as illustrated by this 1958 Mercury Cougar Coupe - part of the pony-car generation. But the times had begun to change again, as indicated by the arrival of the first Japanese cars, like the Toyota seen here in the background.
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The importance of styling
While the ‘50s and ‘60s arguably were the heydays for automotive styling, the importance of style was recognized much earlier – at least as far back as this 1927 LaSalle, the first product of GM’s newly-established Art and Color studio, under the direction of the soon-to-become legendary designer Harley Earl.
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1937 Cord 812 Convertible
The styling of this 1938 Cord 812, by legendary designer Gordon Buehrig, is widely considered to be among the best automotive designs ever. Its exotic character was reinforced by the fact that it was the only front-wheel-drive American car on the market at the time.
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1941 Lincoln Continental Convertible
The styling, as well as the name of the original Lincoln Continental, resulted from a trip by Edsel Ford, Henry's son, to Europe in 1938, where he was impressed with the sophisticated "continental" look of the cars. This 1941 model was Edsel's personal car.
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1941 Lincoln Continental
It's also the car that gave its name to the "continental tire" kit, which became a popular accessory in the 1950s.
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1948 Tucker
As styling evolved in the post-war era, one of the moat dramatic designs to reach the market, albeit in very limited number, was this 1948 Tucker. Preston Tucker was an industry outsider with plans to revolutionize automobile design but those plans were thwarted before full production could be achieved.
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1950 Studebaker
By the 1950s, many automotive designs had adopted the form of jet aircraft of the day – few more dramatically than this 1950 Studebaker, seen here in front of a period-correct railway-car diner.
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1955 Chevrolet Corvette
By the mid-'50s the American sports car has arrived. General Motors introduced the Corvette in 1953 and added its now-iconic V-8 engine in this 1955 model - the last of the original design.
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1956 Ford Thunderbird
Ford's response to the Corvette was the Thunderbird, not quite a direct competitor in terms of sportiness but more luxurious and more successful in terms of sales at the time.
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1956 Lincoln Continental
Further up-market, the 1956 Lincoln Continental pioneered what would become the personal luxury coupe market, setting a standard for design sophistication in the process.
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1957 DeSoto Fireflite
By the latter half of the 1950s, fins were the things and few did them more tastefully than Chrysler's products, as illustrated here by this 1957 DeSoto Fireflite four-door hardtop – in front of a Holiday Inn sign from the period.
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1958 Edsel
From the same era, the 1958 Edsel – named for Henry's son – took a different styling approach, without fins but with an infamous 'horse-collar' grille. Neither the Edsel nor the DeSoto survived the early '60s.
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1959 Cadillac
The fin era reached its apogee on this 1959 Cadillac, which has become an icon of the age.
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1963 Chrysler Turbine Car
By 1963, Chrysler's styling was taking a different direction, embodied by the 'fuselage' look of this gas-turbine powered experimental car, with obvious turbine-related design cues as well. Fifty of these cars were built for testing but most were eventually scrapped. The Henry Ford car is one of the few survivors.
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1963 Buick Riviera
General Motors took a different styling direction as well, under the direction of new design chief Bill Mitchell. One of the most acclaimed designs of the period was this 1963 Buick Riviera personal coupe.
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1963 Ford Mustang 1 concept
Meanwhile, over at Ford, a new nameplate appeared on a concept car – the Mustang I. Little of that tiny mid-engined sports car would make it into production, but the name definitely would.
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1964½ Ford Mustang
In April of 1964, the production version of the Ford Mustang was released, quickly becoming the most successful Ford car since the Model T and spawning a new class of vehicles that would be copied by all its major competitors. This car is the first one sold, initially to an airline pilot in Newfoundland, Canada.
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GM EV1
As noted earlier, the range of vehicles displayed in The Henry Ford is extensive, including such noteworthy digressions as this aborted General Motors EV1 electric vehicle.
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Ford Focus Electric
From modern day, this Ford Focus Electric illustrates how alternative-energy vehicles have become part of the mainstream.
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Checker Cab
Winning no awards for styling but claiming many for practicality, the Checker cab was the mainstay of the taxi industry for decades.
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Cornell Safety Car
When designing cars for safety was becoming a priority in the 1970s, Cornell Laboratories came up with this futuristic design, which included centre-mounted steering by levers, not a wheel, U-shaped barriers to hold occupants in place rather than seat-belts, and accordion-style doors. Fortunately, reality took different directions.
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Eisenhower-era Lincoln Presidential Limousine
Addressing safety from a different perspective is this bubble-topped Eisenhower-era Lincoln presidential limousine - one of several such limos in the museum's collection.
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Kennedy-era Lincoln Presidential Limousine
The infamous Kennedy presidential limo is there as well, with major safety upgrades incorporated after the assassination to protect subsequent presidents.
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Sprint-car racer
There's a multitude of race cars in the Henry Ford as well; enough for a gallery of their own. Watch for it!
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