Automotive Hall of Fame reportedly in dire financial shape
For the first 36 years, the Automotive Hall of Fame existed in name only with no place to call home. Unfortunately, the same economic conditions that have afflicted the industry it celebrates (and the area in which it resides) have come to haunt the hall. Falling attendance and donations from the companies that build cars mean the non-profit organization has a major budget shortfall.
According to Ward's Auto World, the facility has cut positions and only has three paid employees left along with a handful of volunteers. Few have even heard of the hall, which sits next door to the much more popular Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, MI. From 1997 through 2007, an average of 20,000 people a year visited the museum, but that fell by 25% last year.
The 2009 induction ceremony will be on October 6 with land speed record competitor Craig Breedlove, Ford designer Richard D. Caleal, German aerodynamicist Wunibald I.E. Kamm, father of the minivan Harold Sperlich and racer Mickey Thompson being honored. You can get more information on the museum and its inductees here.
[Source: Ward's Auto World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Aeromax 8:41AM (10/06/2009)
Nothing worth putting in a museum as of lately, I guess.
However, they could start a new section called "Extinction".
Reply
RG 8:56AM (10/06/2009)
The Automotive Hall of Fame isn't doing well. So let it fail. You tried it, it didn't work, so move on. I didn't think it was the greatest idea in the first place.
I mean seriously, Harold Sperlich?????
Reply
R8677 9:29AM (10/06/2009)
The museum is a joke anyways. I was not impressed by what I saw at the museum when I went a few years ago and that was very little to begin with. The Henry Ford has a better automotive collection.
To make matters worse about a year ago I had some friends in town. They wanted to go to the museum against my advice. I finally relented and called the day before and spoke to the staff to confirm that they would be open the next day and what the price of the tickets would be. The staff confirmed they would be open and all of the information I needed. My group arrived the next day soon after they were scheduled to open and found out that the entire museum was closed all day for a private event. WTF! Went next door to Greenfield Village for the day and never thought again about this museum until now. To hear that they are in financial trouble is not a big surprise.
Reply
Neil Schelly 9:45AM (10/06/2009)
I visited a friend in the Detroit area a few years ago, long before the recent crash. We visited the Henry Ford and it was an awesome museum. I didn't even know there was another one next to it. In good times, a relatively modern museum about cars shouldn't go unnoticed by those looking for interesting things to do in Detroit, but this one did.
Making it sound like it's failure is a result of the times is doing us all a disservice. It's a failure because it isn't successful and I'm guessing nobody was trying all that hard to make it otherwise. Who would put an automotive museum right next to the Henry Ford anyway?
-N
Reply
Venom 9:57AM (10/06/2009)
I live in Michigan and I have never heard of this place.
Perhaps if they promote it better or at all it would do better.
Detroit does nothing to promote this place, the Art Museum, the zoo etc.
I have been to the Chicago Zoo and Oceanarium and museums way more than I have ever been to the Detroit ones.
Reply
Prhime 10:08AM (10/06/2009)
also in the guild of - I have never heard of this place before. I went to the Henry Ford museum twice and didn't even know / see that this building was next door. Interested to see what they have in it.
Reply
ehisforadam 10:18AM (10/06/2009)
It's a failed museum because there isn't much to it. There are maybe 3-4 cars in it. It's tiny and is pretty much nothing but reading. It's not a very interesting place to go, especially when compared to the museum right next to it.
Reply
mpb1230 10:41AM (10/06/2009)
I live in Dearborn and I've gone a few times for work functions. The place is pretty boring as there are very few cars there. Instead, they show a lot of the innovations and contributions to the industry. I'm surprised the place has been around as long as it has been. The Henry Ford has way more cars and is a much better place to visit. The rouge factory tour is also a much better nicer way to spend your money on.
Reply
Bumblebee 5:26PM (10/06/2009)
Classic. These people must be idiots. How do I know? I'm 29 years old, have been automotive enthusiast for all 29 of those years, and have never heard of this place. How is it that they've never gotten a magazine ad in front of my face? I've never seen an ad on this site or Jalopnik? Never seen a press release about some monumental new acquisition?
This place probably deserves to die.
Reply
Just a Dude 3:01PM (10/06/2009)
Um, why don't they consolidate their tickets and admission prices with the Henry Ford?
Maybe they do this already, but it would be probably smart to offer "combination admission ticket deals" that grant you admission to both the Henry Ford AND to the Automotive Hall of Fame, giving you a discount on both if you buy them together.
You'd boost awareness of the Hall of Fame with regular Henry Ford visitors, and make the place look more attractive to visit with a discounted admission (if you bought a ticket to both museums at the same time.)
Either way, I would think that would increase attendance.
Otherwise ---- on its own merits as a stand-alone attraction ---- it kind of should be doomed.
I've been in there once, and I've gotta say, as a car designer myself --- I've never been more bored. Lots of pictures and reading, as someone else already said, precious little in the way of any real museum artifacts to justify erecting a building and paying to go inside.
Reply
Carlos 5:10PM (10/06/2009)
The Henry Ford > Automotive Hall of Fame
Besides the prices of admission is definitely not worth it.
Reply