Venues with traction

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts December 2001

December 2001
Short Cuts:
Venues with traction

Model venue: Walter P. Chrysler Museum

Sport utility vehicles may be the rage today, but when it comes to the spirit of the automobile era, nothing captures the imagination more than a lovingly restored vintage car. Several car museums offer groups the opportunity to wine, dine and mingle among beautifully crafted models of yesteryear.

At the 12-acre Henry Ford Museum (www.hfmgv.org) in Dearborn, Mich., a stone’s throw from Ford Motor Co.’s world headquarters, a series of exhibits chronicles the impact of the automobile on American life. Displays include the original Ford Model T, the limousine in which John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Opened just two years ago, Detroit’s Walter P. Chrysler Museum (daimlerchrysler.com) features a rotating tower showcasing three of the company’s classics, including the 1941 Thunderbolt. The museum’s basement houses a re-creation of the original lab where the V8 engine was developed. Exhibits trace the company’s history from its beginnings in 1925 to its takeover by Daimler-Benz in 1998.

Speed demons might prefer the National Corvette Museum (www.corvettemuseum.com) in Bowling Green, Ky. Designed to mimic the lines of a race car, the building houses a collection of the classic roadsters dating from 1953, when the first Corvette was introduced. The cars are displayed against a 1950s backdrop, including a barbershop and a service station. Groups also can visit a production plant that offers twice-daily tours at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

• C.A.S.