Summary
- The Collections Building of the Detroit Historic Society houses a vast array of vintage automobiles and other relics, preserving over a century's worth of automotive history.
- Notable vehicles in the collection include a 1924 Hupmobile Roadster, a Pontiac Fiero press car, a 1965 Bordinat Cobra concept, and a 1963 Ford Mustang II Concept.
- The Detroit Historic Society aims to preserve history and educate visitors about the significance of these historic vehicles, with only a small percentage of their inventory on display at any given time.
Located on Detroit’s historic Fort Wayne lies a very unassuming building that, without prior knowledge of its existence, would go unnoticed by the public. In fact, many long-time Detroitians are unaware of the incredible treasures housed inside.
That building is the Collections Building of the Detroit Historic Society, where many of their museum exhibits and installments are stored when not on display. The Detroit Historic Society has been a long-time recipient of many vintage and rare pieces of automotive history, as Detroit, commonly known as “Motor City” or “Motown”, has been the epicenter of automotive innovation and growth since the early days of automobiles.
Recently, the crew from the automotive culture magazine and internet presence, Sick the Mag, got an exclusive tour with museum curator, Dave Marchioni, where they received detailed history lessons from the expert himself.
With over a century’s worth of automotive history across over 70 vehicles, the Sick the Mag crew, guided by Dave Marchioni, scoured the facility, pulling back the curtain on some of the most historic vehicles ever produced and revealing various interesting chapters of automotive history that would come as a surprise to even the most seasoned car gurus.
From Vintage One-Off Shelbys To A 1924 Hupmobile Roadster
Upon entering the unassuming collections building, which Tom Bailey of Sick the Mag reportedly mistook for the wrong location, one immediately notices the vast amount of vintage relics, including but not limited to, vehicles, jukeboxes, hair curlers, and an old suggestion box, among other items.
But what is most noticeable are the vintage automobiles housed in each their own individual bubble, called a car capsule, that keep the relics safe from outside contaminants. Among the covered cars is a 1924 Hupmobile Roadster that was restored in the 1950s. The vintage roadster made its way to the Detroit Historic Society in 1973 where it has been preserved for future generations to admire.
Notable Vehicles At Detroit Historic Society Collections Building
- 1963 Ford Mustang II Concept
- 1913 Scripps-Booth Biautogo Super Sport
- 1988 Cadillac Brougham Sedan (disassembled)
- Pre-War era Jeeps
- Stout Scarab
- Scripps-Booth DaVinci Pop
- 1965 Bordinat Cobra concept
- Ford Cougar II Concept
- 1924 Hupmobile Roadster
Other preserved vehicles housed in the protective car capsules include a Pontiac Fiero from the 1980s that features a single-digit VIN number, which was "6". This particular Fiero was a press car, meaning it was used for commercial and advertisement purposes. It was previously owned and held in the GM Archives before being donated to the Detroit Historic Society, which promptly gave it a car capsule to avoid any further wear and tear.
Another interesting vehicle that has been preserved is the 1965 Bordinat Cobra concept. Based on the 1964 Cobra chassis (CSX3001), the custom body of this Cobra, made of Royalex plastic, was created under the direction of former Ford styling VP Gene Bordinat.
Being a design car only, the 1964 Bordinat Cobra never left the Dearborn development center, making this literally a one-of-a-kind Cobra. Next to the Bordinat, we find the Cougar II, both donated by Ford to the Detroit Historic Society. The Cougar II bears a striking resemblance to the Corvette and Jaguar 2x2 of the '60s, simply because they were all three released within months of each other, capitalizing on the trends of the era.
As curator Dave Marchioni mentions, some of the original parts of these relics have been picked apart and taken before being donated to the museum. This is common among vintage vehicles and makes the work of the Historic Society that much more important, as their only goal is to preserve history and educate those interested in said history.
Concept Mustang And Pre-War Era Jeeps
Though many of the classic automobiles in the collection are housed in a protective car capsule, some are not, allowing enthusiasts to take a deeper look at the vintage beauties. One such model that is definitely a piece of American automotive history is the 1963 Ford Mustang II Concept.
Introduced in the U.S. Grand Prix at Watson Glen in October 1963, the Mustang II Concept was marketed as the “bridge” between the two-seater Mustang that had been introduced not long before, and the four-seater futuristic model, which borrowed many design cues from the original two-seater.
However, the Mustang II concept bears unique features not found on any other Mustang before or since, including a factory four-inch chopped top and a two-inch raked windshield.
Curator Dave Marchioni commented that “... though it looks cool, there is very limited headroom”.
The Mustang II concept features a removable fiberglass top, showroom one-piece bucket seats, and a unique Mustang logo which displays the classic pony at a ¾ angle, uncommon as the public recognizes the side view of the popular muscle car logo displayed on the grille.
American Automotive History
The collections building houses many pieces of history, an interesting portion coming from Cadillac, including a deconstructed 1988 sedan, whose manufacturing was stopped mid-production, rendering this relic stationary, as it had not yet received chassis or engine components.
The deconstructed Caddy also features a brand-new interior still covered in plastic from the factory, with build sheets from the original assembly line. Dave is noted saying that the Detroit Historical Society currently owns three disassembled Cadillac sedans from this era, two of which are on display in the museum.
Another interesting chapter of Cadillac history housed in the collections building are the two station wagons, one six-door hearse, and one limousine all manufactured by Cadillac as a bid to convince GM top brass to keep the Clark Street factory open.
These are very important models because they were produced top-to-bottom by Cadillac. At the time, if you wanted a wagon-style vehicle, hearse, or limo, it would be made by coachbuilders. These unique models were built by Cadillac employees and feature bespoke Cadillac interiors including pillowed seats and premium interior materials.
The Detroit Historic Society Preserves History
Being that there are over 70 models housed in the collections building, there is no doubt a lot to unpack when detailing the vintage vehicles, especially because much of the classic technology used in the production of these relics does not exist anymore. From one-off concept models to old fire trucks and historic vehicles, the Detroit Historic Society owns and displays some of the rarest vehicles in the world.
They preview many pieces of American and automotive history regularly in-person and online, as their site provides a comprehensive photo gallery of their displays. However, only around five to seven-percent of the Historic Society’s inventory is ever on display at one time, according to curator Dave Marchioni, meaning the collections building houses over 90-percent of their total inventory.
Having an opportunity to browse the items not often displayed is a very special experience, and the good folks at Sick the Mag definitely make the most of their opportunity.