Story of the Week

Remembering Ford's Custom Car Caravan

by A. Wayne Ferens

The 1960s were a time of change, especially for the American automobile industry. The industry was consolidating into the Big Three: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. These three firms dominated the domestic market, building 90 percent of the vehicles sold in the United States. Competition was raging, especially with the advent of economy, muscle, and pony cars. Manufacturers emphasized performance and style in their new designs to attract the young "Baby Boomer" buyers looking for something fresh and exciting. The smaller imports were growing in popularity with these younger buyers, so Detroit's Big Three quickly responded with the Chevy Corvair, Chrysler Valiant and the Ford Falcon.

Every major car company had their own Design & Styling Studio manned with talented designers, artists, draftsmen and modelers who couldn't create and “leak” their new ideas fast enough to the media. They worked tirelessly to build their much anticipated "Concept Cars" in time for the next issue of Car and Driver, Motor Trend or Car Craft Magazine to stay one step ahead of the competition.

In the fall of 1962, Ford had a better idea and created the Ford Custom Car Caravan under the leadership of Ford Special Projects Division head Jacques H. Passino that would take their new “Concepts” and put them on display directly in front of the buying public at their local auto or custom car show.

To learn more about these shows and the cars featured, click below.

This Week's Story
    
MotorCities Observes Michigan Auto Heritage Day One Week from Today

Tickets are no longer available for the MotorCities National Heritage Area’s 25th Anniversary Gala event, which also will mark the 10th annual observance of Michigan Auto Heritage Day, on Wednesday, November 8 at the Ford House Visitors Center.

The Gala program will feature past signature Michigan Auto Heritage Day highlights, including special recognition from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature, as well as the announcement of the winners of our annual Awards of Excellence.

The finalists for our special 25th Anniversary Awards of Excellence are the following:

In the Heritage Tourism category, the finalists are:

 - Lloyd & Judy Ganton, the operators of Ye Ole Carriage Shop in Spring Arbor;

 - Russell Brothers City Tours for their interactive tours of Detroit;

 - and Wheelhouse Detroit for their Detroit Auto Heritage Bicycle Tour.

In the Interpretation/Education category, the finalists are:

 - The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn for their Achievement series of exhibits about African Americans in the automotive industry.

 - Russ Dore’ of Dore’ Productions in Northville for his interactive historical presentations that bring early automotive pioneers to life;

 - and the Historical Society of Greater Lansing for the I-496 Pave the Way Project.

In the Revitalization category, the finalists are:

 - The Ford Piquette Plant Museum in Detroit for their first floor restoration;

 - M1 Concourse in Pontiac for their work transforming a former General Motors industrial site into a road racing course and event space for auto enthusiasts;

 - and the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township for their work preserving the site.      
 
Visit Detroit is the Presenting Sponsor for the Gala. General Motors is a Founding Partner/Award of Excellence Sponsor. The UAW International Union is our Michigan Auto Heritage Day Sponsor. Ford House is an Award of Excellence Sponsor. Supporting Sponsors include Albert Kahn Associates, Choose Lansing, Destination Ann Arbor, and The Henry Ford. Event Sponsors include Doeren Mayhew, Don Nicholson Enterprises, Gilmore Car Museum, Grigg Graphics, and Project Arts and Humanities.

Celebrating 25 Years with Great MotorCities Programs

As part of the celebration of our 25th Anniversary, today we are concluding our series highlighting 25 MotorCities Programs introduced over the last 25 years.

The 25th (and final) is our Junior Ranger program.

Patterned after programs found at our National Parks, MotorCities launched its own Junior Ranger program in June 2022, geared toward helping kids explore the National Heritage Area, the place that put the world on wheels. For instance, kids can click on links on the MotorCities website to take fun virtual tours of all of the places that have made and continue to make this region the automotive capital of the world. In addition, kids can complete activities in developmentally appropriate subjects that match their interests. Based on their age, if they complete between two and four activities, they will become an official MotorCities Junior Ranger and can earn a badge and certificate.

Watch in January for the start of our next series featuring 25 MotorCities Champions over our quarter century!

Catch all the previous program entries by clicking here.

This Week in Auto Heritage

On November 1, 1930, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was dedicated, as President Herbert Hoover turned a "golden key" in Washington, DC that rang bells in both cities to mark the opening. An engineering wonder, it is the only underwater tunnel for automobiles that crosses an international border in the world.

Used by 12,000 cars and trucks every day, the tunnel is jointly owned by the Cities of Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Drivers travel just under a mile 75 feet below the surface of the Detroit River, surrounded by 574 lights, 80,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 750 tons of reinforced steel. One of the most elaborate ventilation systems ever developed pumps 1.5 million cubic feet of fresh air into the tunnel every minute.

If you enjoy our historical content and would like to see it more regularly than weekly, please like MotorCities National Heritage Area on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @motorcities.

Hey Kids!  Become a MotorCities Junior Ranger! Click here for details!