Event TitleAutomotive Showplace: 1905 Cadillac "Osceola" Coupe
Event Date(s)Now through August 2022
Event LocationDetroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Event DescriptionThis automobile was specially made for Henry M. Leland, general manager of Cadillac Motor Car Company. The car is the first Cadillac built with a fully enclosed body and was made under the supervision of Fred Fisher, one of the brothers who later founded Fisher Body. After leaving Cadillac, Leland went on to found the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917. Leland enjoyed this vehicle so much that it remained his personal runabout for years. He called it "Osceola" to honor a Florida Seminole chief he admired, but due to its unusual appearance, the rest of his family called it the "Old Plug Hat.” The vehicle is the best representation of a "horseless carriage" in the Detroit Historical Society collection and will be on display through Summer 2022.
Event LocationHenry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Event DescriptionPresented by General Motors, the first comprehensive exhibition covering various forms of American auto racing, including stock car, sports car, drag racing, Indy car, hill climb and land-speed racing, is now open in Dearborn. The 24,000 square-foot exhibit provides visitors an in-depth look at the people, the experiences, the culture, the spectacle, the risks and the innovations centered in the world of American auto sports.
Event TitleDetroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950-2020
Event Date(s)Now through Sunday, June 5, 2022
Event LocationDetroit Institute of Arts
Event DescriptionDetroit designers have always led the way in car design. The futuristic concept cars, roaring muscle cars, and sleek racers designed in and around the city shape our ideas of what a car can be. Working on paper, in clay, and in metal, their ideas drive American car culture and inform the way we get around every day. This exhibition highlights the artistry and influence of Detroit car designers working between 1950 and the present day. It will bring together 12 coupes and sedans designed across that 70-year period to highlight significant achievements in style and technology.
Event DescriptionThis exhibit features a dramatic presentation of Chevrolet Corvettes from all eight generations of GM’s legendary American sports car. Through the years, Corvettes have developed from early fiberglass-bodied roadsters with 150-horsepower inline six-cylinder engines and two-speed transmissions, to today’s fire-breathing, mid-engined C8 Corvettes with more than 600 horsepower and 200+ mile per hour top speeds.
Event DescriptionEnjoy a walking tour of REO Town with our newest MotorCities tour operator partner, GLAD Tours. Tickets are available for $10. Before there was a REO Town, there was REO City. Take a walk down the main drag with GLAD Tours and see where Ransom Eli Olds started the auto industry.
Event DescriptionOut of the thousands of parts that make up a car, the body is the first thing we see. It is critical to safety, comfort, styling and corporate identity. Perhaps the most prominent auto body producer – Fisher Body Company – grew from a family business, operated by a close-knit group of brothers, into a central pillar of General Motors. From early enclosed car bodies through 1950s tailfins and beyond, “Body by Fisher” indicated a quality product, and their iconic coach emblem on every door sill was a reminder of that pedigree. Though Fisher was dissolved in the 1980s, the name endures through the company’s legacy, the family’s philanthropic efforts, and current ties to the industry.
Event Date(s)Saturdays Starting October 2 10 a.m. - Noon
Event LocationMichigan Military Technical & Historical Society, Eastpointe
Event DescriptionAges 8 to 16, parents welcome to join in. For those who have never built a model, we give you a free snap-together kit to build and take home! All supplies such as tools, paint, glue, etc will be provided for those who bring their own model to build Members of IPMS Warren model club will be there to help and teach modeling techniques For more info, contact Jim Ashford, 248.399.2386, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Event Title"Becoming the Motor City" Lecture with Paul Vachon
Event Date(s)Sunday, January 30, 2022 at 2 p.m.
Event LocationMichigan Military Technical & Historical Society, Eastpointe
Event DescriptionModern-day Detroit is inseparable from its signature industry. Becoming the Motor City: A Timeline of Detroit’s Auto Industry shares insights about how the industry and the city grew, prospered, and ultimately suffered together. Detroit author and historian Paul Vachon revisits the timeline format in this new exploration into the depths of Detroit’s automotive history. Through photos, stories, and history, he paints a vivid picture of the city’s past. Admission by donation.
Event TitleMotor City Drama: Behind the Scenes Building the Big 3
Event Date(s)Sunday, March 20, 2022 2 p.m.
Event LocationMichigan Military Technical & Historical Society, Eastpointe, MI
Event DescriptionNot another history of the automotive pioneers, but rather a historical experience! Go behind the scenes in this fictional account by Russell Dore and listen in on conversations as Henry Ford, Billy Durant and Walter Chrysler interact in building the Big Three. Hear supporting characters Ransom Olds, the Dodge Brothers, Charlie Nash, Alfred Sloan, Louis Chevrolet and others play their vital roles. Admission by donation.
