The Automotive Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame honoring influential figures in the history of the automotive industry. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, US. The Hall of Fame is part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area.
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History
The Automotive Hall of Fame was founded on October 18, 1939, in New York City by a group called the "Automobile Old Timers." Its original mission was to perpetuate the memories of early automotive pioneers and to honor people from all parts of the auto industry worldwide. For its first three decades, The Automotive Hall of Fame had four name changes. Its second iteration, "Automotive Old Timers," was adopted in 1957 to recognize a broader base, including automotive-related industries. In 1971, it became "The Automotive Organization Team." Finally, it became known as "The Automotive Hall of Fame," a name that led to further growth.
In 1946, the Hall participated in the "National Golden Jubilee" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the automobile's invention and honor the industry's creators. The Jubilee committee president, William S. Knudsen, stated the selection to the Hall of Fame included "Ten pioneers whose engineering and administrative genius made possible the present day." The selection was done in cooperation with the Automobile Manufacturers Association. The ten were: Edgar Apperson, William Crapo Durant, J. Frank Duryea, Henry Ford, George M. Holley, Charles B. King, Charles W. Nash, Barney Oldfield, Ransom E. Olds, and Alfred P. Sloan Jr. were selected. The managing director of the Jubilee was George W. Romney. The events also initiated interest in older cars.
The organization moved to Washington, D.C. in 1960, sharing space in the National Automobile Dealers Association building. In 1971, it moved to Midland, Michigan, where it got its first home at Northwood University. In 1997, it moved to its present home, a 25,000-square-foot building in Dearborn, Michigan, adjacent to The Henry Ford; in addition to automobile history artifacts, it contains a small theater and a central enclosed building area for public events, meetings and other exhibits.
The Hall celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014.
During the 2016 induction ceremony, the Hall of Fame's president announced that the museum was exploring a possible move to downtown Detroit. These plans never materialized.
Awards
The Hall honors members of the automotive industry each year. There were 271 people inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame through 2016. These inductees include the founders of Benz, Bosch, Bugatti, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Cord, Daimler, Dodge, Duesenberg, Durant, Duryea, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Maybach, Olds, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, and Toyota, among others.
Along with the Hall of Fame induction awards, the Hall also honors individuals with three other significant awards each year:
Distinguished Service Citation
Industry Leader of the Year Award
Young Leader and Excellence Award
For the Hall induction, the Distinguished Service Citation, and the Young Leader and Excellence Award, anyone can submit a nomination by filling out the form or sending a letter, along with reference materials that may assist the Awards Committee. The Industry Leader of the Year Award is nominated and awarded solely by the Awards Committee, so no external nominations are accepted.
Other similar institutions
In 2001, the European Automotive Hall of Fame was established and inducted its first 13 members. Permanent plaques of honor will be emplaced at Palexpo, the home of the Geneva Auto Show.