Automotive Hall of Fame Moving From Dearborn to Detroit, Wants to Be More Than a Museum

The Automotive Hall of Fame thinks it can better tell the history of the automobile if it makes a move to the Motor City.

William Chapin, the museum’s president, wants to expand the facility’s scope and become part of Detroit’s resurgence, so he’s looking for space near downtown, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Founded in New York City in 1939, the year General Motors brought us the automatic transmission, the museum has occupied a 25,000 square foot building on Oakwood Boulevard in Dearborn since 1997. It’s close, but it could be a lot closer to the birthplace of American car culture.

“We feel there is a need to develop a visitor destination downtown that will tell the global stories of automotive innovators and their innovations over the past 90-plus years with a spotlight on Detroit’s automotive heritage,” Chapin said yesterday at the annual induction ceremony, reported by Freep. “We also want to talk about the rebirth of the industry … and the creation of a hub for autonomous vehicles and new age manufacturing.”

The planned move is still just an idea, but Chapin said he’d like to find a location along Woodward Avenue. The facility is adjacent to The Henry Ford, and the automaker’s recent shuffle of its Dearborn facilities was the kick the Hall of Fame needed.

“We are right in the dead center of that,” Chapin said. “And, we have always had a bit of a marketing problem because many people think we are associated with Ford.”

According to CBS News, Chapin said the move would allow the Hall of Fame to become “more than just a car museum.”

This year’s crop of inductees was diverse. The museum honored former Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Bertha Benz (wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz and first-ever road trip driver), Roy Lunn, creator of the original Ford GT40, and … Ralph Nader. He’s the man who found the Chevrolet Corvair a bit lacking.

[Image: Bryan Debus/ Flickr]