About this exhibit
From the oldest surviving American automobile and Henry Ford's first gas-powered vehicle to the hybrid 2002 Prius, our Driving America exhibit helps to tell the story of how automotive innovations have changed our lives and influenced American culture. On your journey, you’ll also encounter more than a dozen interactive kiosks that will engage, inform and inspire.
Highlights
1896 Ford Quadricycle Runabout, First Car Built by Henry Ford
The Quadricycle was Henry Ford's first attempt to build a gasoline-powered automobile. It utilized commonly available materials: angle iron for the frame, a leather belt and chain drive for the transmission, and a buggy seat. Ford had to devise his own ignition system. He sold his Quadricycle for $200, then used the money to build his second car.
1965 Ford Mustang Convertible, Serial Number One
It's an old auto industry cliche — "you can't sell a young man an old man's car, but you can sell an old man a young man's car." It's also true. The sporty Mustang was a young man's — and woman's — car. The under-30 crowd loved it. But older people also bought them, often as a second car. The Mustang hit a sweet spot in the market, appealing to a wide range of buyers.
2016 General Motors First-Generation Self-Driving Test Vehicle
General Motors tested a series of autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2016. These cars, developed with GM subsidiary Cruise Automation and based on the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, used a combination of cameras, radar and lidar sensors, cellular and GPS antennas, and powerful computers to drive themselves on public streets in both cities.
1937 Cord 812 Convertible
The 1937 Cord's swooping fenders, sweeping horizontal radiator grille, and hidden headlights were unlike anything else on American highways. And although it wasn't the first, Cord was the only front-wheel-drive production car available in America for the next three decades.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop
Chevrolet turned its image around in 1955. Its new V-8 engine was light modern, powerful and reliable. Combined with a clean, classic new body style it changed customers' impression of Chevrolet from stodgy and conservative to sporty and youthful almost overnight. This car, in fashionable coral and smoke grey colors, epitomizes Chevy's new slogan, "The Hot One."
1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout
When it inspires a song, you know it's popular. This Olds was the bestselling car in America from 1902 to 1905. Automobiles had an emotional appeal. A driver in 1901 said that controlling a car satisfied "an almost universal sense, the love of power." Despite the attraction, cars were not a significant player in the transportation world. In 1903 some 4,000 people bought Oldsmobiles, but more than 900,000 bought buggies and carriages.
Douglas Auto Theatre Sign, circa 1955
The first "auto movie theatre" opened in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, but it took time to perfect the new technology. In the 1950s, a new market of families and teenagers embraced the informality and privacy of in-car movie-watching. This sign stood at the entrance to a drive-in theatre that held 800 cars when it operated between 1955 and 1985.
Texaco "Fire-Chief" Gasoline Pump, circa 1940
By the 1940s, drivers watched "computing" pumps like this Texaco Fire-Chief pump automatically calculate the amount of gasoline and the price. This type of pump did away with price charts used by service station attendants. Internal, calibrated gear sets turned numbered wheels allowing quick and easy fill ups and payments.
1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Convertible
Longer than a Duesenberg. Twice the horsepower of a Rolls-Royce. More costly than both put together. The Bugatti Royale was the ultimate automobile, making its owners feel like kings. Not only did it do everything on a grander scale than the world's other great luxury cars, it was also rare. Bugatti built only six Royales, whereas there were 481 Model J Duesenbergs and 1,767 Phantom II Rolls-Royces.
Driving America
More to explore
Driven to Win: Racing in America
From soap box derbies to Indy car, stock car and drag racing, this exhibit guides visitors through the lives of those who invented their way into the winner's circle and often changed the world in the process.
Presidential Vehicles
See some of the vehicles that transported 20th century American presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.