Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills Closing for good.........

**DetroitPlanner** · November-30-12, 08:56 AM

What we need is a Si-Flags Autoworld, part museum, part indoor amusement park!

**tkelly1986** · November-30-12, 09:37 AM

There was an idea on the Free Press message board of hosting the collection at the Detroit Historical Museum....which I like. It doesnt make sense for the big 3 to each have their own museum, or even a stand alone auto history museum for them to combine in. However, an "auto" wing at the Historical Museum does. There is already an anchor tenet and it places Detroit's history in one easy place to vist. Thoughts?

**DetroitPlanner** · November-30-12, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

There was an idea on the Free Press message board of hosting the collection at the Detroit Historical Museum....which I like. It doesnt make sense for the big 3 to each have their own museum, or even a stand alone auto history museum for them to combine in. However, an "auto" wing at the Historical Museum does. There is already an anchor tenet and it places Detroit's history in one easy place to vist. Thoughts?

The first things that come to my mind is how to pay for the expansion and how to shoe-horn it onto the existing museum. I suppose you could put it at Fort Wayne, but that would require an even larger commitment as you can't have a new attraction while the original fort shows so much neglect.

**Wheels** · November-30-12, 10:09 AM

How about the Globe Building? The current project only re uses half of the current structure. Make it multi purpose and world class!

**56packman** · November-30-12, 10:18 AM

Poobert knows of what he speaks. The conversion from corporate PR tool to 501 [[C)[[3) at the WPC museum never got off the ground, they wanted to still play the corporate game and use it in the manner that it had been used all along, and never really went for the hearts and minds of those who are faithful to the cause, and there pobably wasn't enough of them to make the difference, and no BIG donors, which are absolutely vital to any museum operation.
He is also dead-on that you can't just put a bunch of old cars in a building, write some labels and wait for the masses to descend. You have to tell a story and educate. The WPC museum did a pretty good job of that, but alas, the support was not there.

**iheartthed** · November-30-12, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

There was an idea on the Free Press message board of hosting the collection at the Detroit Historical Museum....which I like. It doesnt make sense for the big 3 to each have their own museum, or even a stand alone auto history museum for them to combine in. However, an "auto" wing at the Historical Museum does. There is already an anchor tenet and it places Detroit's history in one easy place to vist. Thoughts?

I think they could collectively fill a museum. The problem is they would probably try to put it in some obscure place like Auburn Hills and nobody would visit it. If they put it in the Cultural Center, Greenfield Village, or perhaps even rehabbed an old former auto factory in Detroit or Hamtramck then it would probably be successful.

**ScienceFair** · November-30-12, 10:39 AM

Is it closing because of its location or because the product isn't very good? [[see Pistons Attendance/Location Thread)

Shollin · November-30-12, 10:43 AM

I was thinking something along the lines of the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. The Henry Ford is more dedicated to industry and not just the automobile.

**Packman41** · November-30-12, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

There was an idea on the Free Press message board of hosting the collection at the Detroit Historical Museum....which I like. ... SNIP... Thoughts?

Please, if you really knew what happens to the cars at the Detroit Historical Museum you would NOT want them to go to there.

Because the DHM has such little floor display space they have to store the vast majority of their cars in a large warehouse. The building is not heated and the cars are stored in individual plastic bubbles – not an ideal, long term storage solution. These cars are never rotated into the DHM for display – they just sit.

So, the DHM decided to take some of the the more significant cars and loan them to museums around the country. At least the cars are on display somewhere and with some minimal maintenance – but outside of Detroit.

This also has its problems. Back in 2005 HOUR magazine [[and maybe the Free Press) did an expose that the DHM was not monitoring what happened to these loaned out cars.

Seems that an out-of-town, private “museum” was using the DHM cars as luxury limousine service. They took the DHM cars and rented them out for weddings, grad parties, bar mitzvahs, etc. at a steep price. That “museum” pocketed the money and did minimal repairs to the cars. This was all prohibited by the DHM lending agreement, but they never knew about it until the expose.

It took the DHM over a year to get the cars back from this museum. I should know. I was part of a group of auto enthusiasts that volunteered our trucks and trailers to retrieve the cars from this private, “museum” when the owner balked at letting them go back to the DHM. The CofD had neither the equipment or the manpower to do this. So we volunteered.

I hope the DHM is doing a better job of vetting museums now.

I wanted to attach the cover page of the HOUR magazine article, but it appears that I cannot post it today.

**Gistok** · November-30-12, 11:49 AM

Thanks for the interesting Horror Story about the Detroit Historical Museum Packman41. Poobert may have been right about a lot of things but not when he said the Detroit Historical Museum was "vast"...... It's a smallish museum that can't even do a good job of displaying much of its' collection, especially the space consuming auto collection. But he is right about the donor issues... no donors no museum.

However, its' constricted space makes expansion not very feasible.

**56packman** · November-30-12, 11:54 AM

Wow--Hour magazine did a hard-hitting expose? I thought that magazine was just shilling $45,000 kitchen remodels and nose and boob jobs.

**Bham1982** · November-30-12, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Poobert may have been right about a lot of things but not when he said the Detroit Historical Museum was "vast"...... It's a smallish museum that can't even do a good job of displaying much of its' collection, especially the space consuming auto collection.

I think Poobert meant that the Historical Museum was quite large considering its role, and I would agree.

Very few cities, even very few global cities, have city historical museums. Those that exist tend to be small. I think, in that context, the Detroit Historical Museum is pretty large and impressive.

**East Detroit** · November-30-12, 12:32 PM

We need some kinda automotive museum or exhibit in a museum that has 115-130 vehicles including everything from a Corvair to a Model T to a Tucker to a GM Ev1 to a Rocket Stanley Steamer to a Chrysler Newport. Maybe put vehicles on display from other museums, say even Honda.

Maybe throw in 70 cases of artifacts, a working diner, an original McDonalds sign...

Maybe totally revamp it and open it this year.

It would be awesome.

**Bham1982** · November-30-12, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

We need some kinda automotive museum or exhibit in a museum that has 115-130 vehicles including everything from a Corvair to a Model T to a Tucker to a GM Ev1 to a Rocket Stanley Steamer to a Chrysler Newport. Maybe put vehicles on display from other museums, say even Honda.

Maybe throw in 70 cases of artifacts, a working diner, an original McDonalds sign...

Maybe totally revamp it and open it this year.

It would be awesome.

Didn't you just describe the Henry Ford Museum?

**downtownguy** · November-30-12, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I've always felt that no building would make for a grander Detroit Automotive Museum than this luxurious Albert Kahn designed facility....
http://detroit.curbed.com/places/met...igh-technology

It has much of the criteria for a museum.... top quality materials and details, it's massive long front on the west side of Cass Park LOOKS LIKE A MUSEUM, it has plenty of space, and it's where all the great museums of Detroit are... in the Midtown area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kr...ersDetroit.jpg

Gistok, I'm surprised you didn't nominate the Michigan Theatre on Bagley. Wouldn't take much to restore the current garage back to its former glory [[note sarcasm), and it is the site where Henry Ford made his first automobile. Wheels suggestion of the The Globe Building would also have historic significance, as a young Henry worked for the Detroit Dry Docks Engine Works at that site in the 1880s.

Unfortunately, Poobert's points are are spot on. Competition for donor dollars is fierce and The Henry Ford has the auto museum philanthropic contingent solidly in their corner. A new upstart would have a difficult time, indeed.

**Det_ard** · November-30-12, 01:49 PM

^^^ Incisive, you are.

I think an automotive musuem in or near Detroit may have a better chance at surviving than many think, particularly if its large enough to have a "must see" collection of historically significant automobiles.

Some how the Gilmore Museum survives as a car museum and its located in the middle of nowhere, Hickory Corners, MI [[on farmland outside of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo). It's been around for 45 years. It's open 361 days a year. It has been ranked at one of the Top 5 automotive museums in the US. Why wouldn't a top-flite car museum be even more successful in Detroit? Look at how many people want to do the Rouge plant tour through HFM. People expect to be able to see cars in the Motor City.

Detroit may not be able to pull off a viable science center [[yes, I know it's reopening) or the Dossin or even the historical museum, but cars? That's what the city is known for above all else.

**RickBeall** · November-30-12, 03:07 PM

If they displayed the batmobile I would attend in a bat second.

**leapfrog** · November-30-12, 04:30 PM

Why not another tri-county millage proposal? Im sure the citizens of Detroit, and the surrounding communities would want to support this museum, considering the recent success the zoo and DIA had in getting theirs approved.

**Danny** · November-30-12, 04:43 PM

Nobody is going to that museum anyway! It's too far and no bus transportation. I rather go to the Detroit Institute of Arts for free than to some Chrysler Museum in some big glass coated pentastar building in the middle of nowheresville.

GUSHI · December-01-12, 10:41 AM

Doesn't gm house there historic cars, somewhere in Sterling Heights ?

**Packman41** · December-01-12, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by GUSHI

Doesn't gm house there historic cars, somewhere in Sterling Heights ?

Yes they do. And “house” is the operative word.

The vehicles are just parked in a large warehouse and not displayed in a museum setting as was done at the W.P. Chrysler. The displays at the WPC told a story and educated the visitor.

Also, the GM Heritage Center is not open to the general public – it is only open for corporate or group events. What GM is doing now with the Heritage Center is what I guess the WPC will look like beginning 1/1/2013.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...eum-collection

"Chrysler will continue to share its automobile heritage housed at the Museum with the public during special exhibitions. The existing Museum facilities will also be used to meet Chrysler Group needs," said Brian Glowiak, president of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum Foundation.

**Wheels** · December-01-12, 11:57 AM

GM auctioned off about 20% of their collection in 2009 at Barret Jackson.
Chrysler may do something similar.

http://jalopnik.com/5122872/live-ton...arrett+jackson

**piczka** · December-01-12, 12:16 PM

How long before Jay Leno flies out and bilks the city of its automotive heritage for his toy collection. Where are you Mike Ilitch, Manny Maroun and other deep pockets?

**rb336** · December-01-12, 05:32 PM

you actually expect Maroun to do anything civic-minded?

**DetroitPlanner** · December-01-12, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

Some how the Gilmore Museum survives as a car museum and its located in the middle of nowhere, Hickory Corners, MI [[on farmland outside of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo). It's been around for 45 years. It's open 361 days a year. It has been ranked at one of the Top 5 automotive museums in the US. Why wouldn't a top-flite car museum be even more successful in Detroit? Look at how many people want to do the Rouge plant tour through HFM. People expect to be able to see cars in the Motor City.

This is a private museum started and run by the Gilmore Family of Kalamazoo, a family with very deep pockets who controlled the City's largest department store as well as its television, radio, and newspapers.

The Gilmores are the only reason for the museum. Do you have a local Gilmore in mind to run this one? If Chrysler can't run a museum to explain its own heritage and keep it open, who else will?