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Dannyv
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Username: Dannyv

Post Number: 499
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 3:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A friend from out of town asked me if there is a museum or collection of concept cars that exists in the Detroit area. I imagine there may be some concept cars in the Henry Ford Museum. I need your help in finding where concept cars might be found even if they are scattered among other collections in the Detroit area. If there is a collection of these cars outside of Detroit, at least I could point him in the right direction for his search. Thanks for your help with this.
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Gravitymachine
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Username: Gravitymachine

Post Number: 1637
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 3:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

walter p. chrysler museum out by chrysler hq.http://www.chryslerheritage.co m/

gm's collection is private, ford's probably is too
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Otter
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Username: Otter

Post Number: 466
Registered: 12-2007
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 4:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

AFAIK there is no museum of conept cars, as such.

Historically, many concept cars tended to get destroyed after their years on the show circuit. In the 50s and 60s, a handful would occasionally be used as daily drivers by the design VP (e.g. Buick Y-Job & LeSabre, others I may not know of) and some were sold, occasionallyy even right off the stand (this tended to happen with European show cars, not US ones.)

Of the cars that remain, a small number are in private hands and most belong to the automakers still. The Chrysler museum has some, and I think the Henry Ford has a couple.

I don't think GM has a museum, but all of their remaining concepts exist as part of their vast Heritage collection, stored in a bunch of warehouses at unpublicized locations around the Detroit area. I've been in one or two buildings, and it is quite something to see. E.g. the 80s Cadillac Vogage concept car next to the very first Vega off the line, with no mileage on it.

Ford sold some of their concept vehicles at auction a couple of years ago, and these are now privately owned.

There is a collector in CA or the southwest somewhere who now owns a number of significant GM concepts from the 50s, but they are not shown publicly unless for magazine shoots or concours.

Not sure if the Chandler collection (in LA, I think, or else AZ) has some, but it might.

Unfortunately it is very rare to be able to see more than a few at a time. GM brought a relatively large number of its cars to Eyes on Design a few years ago and it was really fantastic.

O.
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Jiminnm
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Username: Jiminnm

Post Number: 1574
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 4:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Olds F-88 concept that sold for $3 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction is here:
http://www.gatewayautomuseum.c om/
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Kensingtony
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Username: Kensingtony

Post Number: 41
Registered: 09-2008
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 5:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

GM's Heritage Collection is in a large warehouse behind the News printing plant on 16 & Mound.It's open for viewing to pre-arranged group tours.There are approximately 300 vehicles on display at any one time and they are changed out every so often.I've been through there twice and it's a really cool place.I'd love to work there.
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Flyingj
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Username: Flyingj

Post Number: 371
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 5:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What a tough question. GM has beautiful stuff...behind closed doors
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/0 3/15/general-motors-heritage-c ollection-an-amazing-collectio n-few-w/

Otte, I dunno who you're referring to, I'd know who a guy like that would be-somebody like that, if they won't have them in a museum they certainly won't loan 'em out to photographers-you're asking for it, there. As for out here on display there's a few of 'em @ the Petersen & the Nethercutt
http://www.nethercuttcollectio n.org/Cars.aspx
I have a gearhead buddy who's from a showbiz family-we hit every auto museum you can think of in numerous cross-country travels-the one founded in S'West Arkansas by a Rockefeller who left & took his cars with him is rather sad-it does have Bill Clinton's 'stang;
http://www.museumofautos.com/i mages/clintonmust.jpg
but none of them are the Henry Ford. Not a one. Not even close
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Otter
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Username: Otter

Post Number: 467
Registered: 12-2007
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 5:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Flyingj,

I don't remember the guy's name either, but the person I'm thinking of is the one who owns the cars that were featured in Automobile magazine earlier this year. I think the original Bonneville is one of the cars. At least one of these was destroyed, then rediscovered and is in the process of being rebuilt and restored. A search through AM's site oughta get the right name.

The Petersen was the other LA museum I was trying to think of. Thanks for the reminder. I haven't been to the HF in years so I was sort of guessing there.
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Bigb23
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Username: Bigb23

Post Number: 2827
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 8:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Clicking on that GM heritage link above, I saw a vehicle that looked like my old 64' Corvair Greenbrier camper van.







Turns out GM was doing fuel cell concept vehicles back in 66' ! Boy what has happened to that company and all their innovation through the years ? And what was Toyota doing at that time ?





quote:

When the world’s first fuel cell-powered vehicle was transported from the General Motors Heritage Center near Detroit to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, it did not make the trip alone. GM’s pioneering 1966 Electrovan was accompanied by the paradigm-changing AUTOnomy fuel cell concept car that captured the world’s attention when introduced by GM at the 2002 North American International Auto Show.




Electrovan
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Rjlj
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Username: Rjlj

Post Number: 727
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 9:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Toyota had garbage at the time. How many classic Toyota cars do you ever see? None. Toyota didn't get rich by selling tons of their classic vehicles. The money had to have come from somewhere else? Government perhaps?
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 8846
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 12:01 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've heard for years that the largest collection of prototype vehicles lies at the bottom of Lake Erie, in a place that has to be marked on the charts due the shallow clearance from the huge pile of scrapped metal.



When in Detroit, at least you can see the original Mustang concept...engineered by an old client of mine whose name is on the plaque...and the Historical Museum for a long while had at least one Chrysler Turbine car when I lived across the street at the Park Shelton. They kept it in the front window, and it always held my gaze...the thing was so far out.

While not a true concept car, one of my old Dearborn Heights neighbors bought one of seventeen hard-top convertible test mules that Ford investigated with on the Mustang chassis from the fellow out in NJ who built them. Thing folded into the trunk, which lid opened backwards.


No collections, though, that I'm aware of outside the HF and Peterson...although I've heard for years and years about that fellow who invented 'loan payment insurance' out in the Lakes region with the HUGE auto collection in a building specifically built with the clear plexiglass floor so the underneaths could be fully viewed...I never learned what his favorites were, but he sounds not unlike a few of the other collectors who don't want publicity.


I was lucky to HAVE to park behind the Peterson when I lived in LA, the magazine I worked with previously being a part of the Peterson publishing empire...most all of our corporate meetings were in a top-floor penthouse room in the Museum with an incredible view...those were the ONLY meetings I was ever early for, because they'd let us wander through the museum before open hours. (bittersweet, though, because they were usually meetings discussing corporate buyouts...we twice had new ownership, which is something I'd not wish on my worst enemy! Such uncertainty...)


Funny aside, it is simply amazing how often the rooftop of that parking structure is still used in advertising...I always parked on the top floor and really knew that view. Every once in a while, I'll turn on the telly and see it on some automobile ad.


Cheers
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Dannyv
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Username: Dannyv

Post Number: 501
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 12:17 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

WOW, there are a lot of auto enthusiasts here. I've passed on the link to this web page for my friend to check out. Thanks a lot for your contributions to this discussion. I truly appreciate it.
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Davemarc
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Username: Davemarc

Post Number: 120
Registered: 06-2008
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 11:33 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gannon,The D.H.M.still has the turbine car,but it is out on loan.We have a few concept cars,just not on display.If you look in the collections page on their website,there's pics of a few.I went to the peterson a few years ago..WOW.I could have spent days.....Dave
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Jiminnm
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Username: Jiminnm

Post Number: 1577
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 11:38 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I also recommend the Gilmore, just outside of Kalamazoo.
http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.or g/

They also have a Chrysler turbine, as well as classics and a few one of a kinds.
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2412
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 1:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Gilmore has the DHM Turbine, on display.
The Walter P. Chrysler museum currently has the following concept cars on display

1941 Chrysler Newport
1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
1953 Chrysler Special
1989 Dodge Viper concept
1995 Chrysler Atlantic
1998 Chrysler Chronos
2001 Chrysler Crossfire concept
2002 Dodge Razor
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Flyingj
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Username: Flyingj

Post Number: 372
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 1:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Of the 50 Chrysler/Ghia turbines 40 were crushed, the rest were mandated as museum pieces-they run on vodka or perfume in a pinch-the LA Museum in Exposition Park has one, too

Gannon, -the choir's here, Reverend All the old print models are going down, I worked 4 a few LA magazines & have family toiling for NY & European ones in sorry shape. Not to get all Bill Kennedy but it reminds me of Walter Huston's speech about life playing a joke on you from the ending of "Treasure of Sierra Madre";
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Jsmyers
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Username: Jsmyers

Post Number: 704
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 3:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So why don't the big three spin off their collections into a automotive heritage museum. It could be built right here:

http://tinyurl.com/48vaqg

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