"Cars That Moved America" automotive exhibition coming to Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

The technological evolution of the automobile has been the subject of some kind of exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry going back more or less forever, but next year, a new approach to the subject with a new collection is coming.

The museum is partnering with the Richard H. Driehaus Art Exhibition Lending Foundation for "Cars That Moved America," which will explore how the automobile shaped the American experience.

The exhibition will open in March 2027.

"Cars That Moved America" will feature more than 40 vehicles from the Richard H. Driehaus Automobile Collection. The cars are rare and meticulously restored, the museum said

The exhibition will examine the cars through five lenses — the evolution of design, mass production, wartime manufacturing, the American freeway system, and competition and speed, the museum said. Interactive technology will be part of the exhibition, letting visitors see under the hood and offering touch screens and AI technology to connect the cars to other items at the Griffin MSI and answer questions about each car in real time.

"We're thrilled to showcase this remarkable collection that highlights what's possible when human ingenuity, innovative engineering and creative design all meet," Griffin MSI chief executive officer and president Dr. Chevy Humphrey said in a news release. "This exhibition not only charts the evolution of how America moved in the 20th century, but also provides inspiration for the next generation of automotive professionals."

The featured cars include: 

• A 1926 Miller Locomobile, which raced in the Indianapolis 500,
• A 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow Sedan, from the Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair. It happens that the Griffin MSI itself opened that same year to coincide with the exposition.
• A 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, which at the time was known as "the car of the future"
• A 1948 Tucker 48 Sedan, conceived by automotive entrepreneur Preston Tucker and originally called the Tucker Torpedo.
• A 1954 Mercury XM-800, a unique concept car that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show and was also shown at the Chicago Auto Show that year.
• A 1957 Ford Thunderbird E Code, the final iteration of the first generation, two-seat Thunderbird.

"Cars That Moved America" is an extension of the Transportation Gallery in the East Court at the Griffin MSI, which also features the 999 Empire State Express locomotive, a variety of historical aircraft, the Piccard Gondola, and the United Boeing 727 cantilevered from the balcony level for the "Take Flight" exhibit. The Great Train Story is found in the center of the East Court.

There are numerous other cars in the Griffin MSI's collection, including a Milburn Light electric car from about 1919, a 1914 four-seat Ford Model T, a 1911 open-top car from the Simplex Automobile Company, a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom, and a 1993 Maize and Blue University of Michigan solar racer, among numerous others.

Longtime Griffin MSI visitors may also remember the General Motors exhibit that used to be located right off the Transportation Gallery in a space now used for special exhibitions. This exhibit was around as far back as 1947 and was known as Motorama until a revamp in the 1980s, when it became Wheels of Change.

A Chicago Tribune report noted that the old Motorama had 56 displays and covered 11,300 square feet. As described on the back of a vintage postcard, Motorama documented "the history of transportation back to the first wooden wheel of the caveman — plus a long peek into the travel wonders of the future."

As seen in a brochure preserved online, Motorama at one time featured a contemporary Main Street to contrast with Yesterday's Main Street, which is located right alongside the former General Motors hall.

The Motorama name was also used for traveling shows GM put on during the midcentury years.

Motorama's successor, Wheels of Change, was dedicated in 1984 and was around well into the 1990s.

Antique cars were also once seen parked along Yesterday's Main Street.