Pierce Great Arrow, a trio of post- war pickups from the Big Three, a Hurst Olds, a 1942 “blackout” Chevy coupe devoid of brightwork due to WWII-era metal shortages, an AMC Marlin, a Duesenberg Model J, a Tucker 48. A wall display near the Marlin educates visitors on Harold LeMay and illustrates a key point not only about LeMay the man, but about the museum that bears his name: He bought his cars based not on their value or potential value, but because of their cultural and historical significance and, most importantly, the ways in which those elements affected him personally.
“Harold LeMay collected the cars of America,” says David Madeira, LeMay-ACM President and CEO. “His were the cars that tell the stories of the American experience.” That experience, says Madeira, has broad appeal. And the museum’s goal is not only to be relevant for the 10 per- cent of the population who consider themselves “car people,” but for the 90 percent who don’t. Because the impact of the automobile is so broad, it’s safe to say that 100 percent of us have some sort of car story.
Laid out among the four floors and six ramps that connect them are 15 galleries and seven distinct exhib- its. Displayed along the ramps for
Within the 165,000-square-foot confines of America's Car Museum, you'll find hundreds of automobiles, including (left to right) a fine selection of pre-war Americans, Ferraris and the cars of the British Invasion.
The LeMay-ACM is entirely automotive in both form and function (opposite), while Oregon Spruce creates warmth inside the Grand Gallery (above).
the next six-or-so months you’ll find exhibits featuring cars of the Cus- tom Coachworks (LeBaron, Dietrich, Hooper, etc.) cars of the British Inva- sion, cars of the Indy 500, Ferrari in America, Alternative Propulsion and more, each accompanied by infor- mative and entertaining interpretive displays. Guest Curator Ken Gross worked closely with ACM and col- lectors to develop the exhibits, with an eye always toward telling a story. “The LeMay-ACM’s audiovisual ef- fects are unlike anything you’ll see in an automotive museum,” Gross says. “Historic cars remind us of our most memorable life experiences,” he says, and his hope is that the overall result “will interest and intrigue the wide audience we anticipate will be attracted to this museum.”
LeMay-ACM staff plan to rotate exhibits and change out cars on a six-to-nine-month schedule, but they are mum on what those future exhib-
its might be. Future events, however, are already in the works. In addition to showing off great cars, the muse- um is designed with a view to hosting events in the open spaces and many meeting and conference rooms, as well as outside on the 3.5-acre Haub Family Showfield. The space has already been adopted as the new home of the Kirkland Concours.
Collections Manager Renée Crist has been instrumental in assembling the cars, and her sentiments about the classic car experience reflect those of Harold LeMay: “Everyone asks me which car is my favorite,” she says. “All of them. Each new one I get in or do the research on. I just love be- ing around them all and the way they look and sound and smell.”
Given the size of the collection and the variety of the exhibits, if you can’t decide on your favorite car, either, a visit to America’s Car Museum should be part of your plans. If you still can’t decide after viewing hundreds of Chevrolets, Fords, Packards, Cadil- lacs, LaSalles, Plymouths and more, just keep returning until you can.
For more information on the muse- um, including location, educational opportunities, hours and admission, visit
lemaymuseum.org.
To see our gallery of LeMay images, go to
hagerty.com/lemay.
PHOTO: STEFAN LOMBARD
PHOTO: STEFAN LOMBARD
PHOTO: STEFAN LOMBARD
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