The Weekly 3

Ever since I got into the automotive museum world, I thought it was strange that the big automotive manufacturers didn’t have their own museums. Now you may assume the Henry Ford Museum or National Corvette Museum would fall into this category, but you’d be mistaken.

In fact, there are only two major automobile manufacturers with museums open in the USA and both are German. The Porsche Experience Center — Atlanta and BMW Zentrum. Interestingly enough, I have driven by both museums multiple times, and have yet made the time to actually visit. It goes to show how easy it is to put things off.

The GM Heritage Center was probably the most significant museum that was officially affiliated with a brand. The collection has over 600 significant GM vehicles, but unfortunately, the museum was not able to remain open to the public. Rumor has it, the GM Heritage Center may one day open to the public again, and I hope it does.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum was another museum owned by Chrysler, but it officially closed in 2016, one year before I opened Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. The museum had a few reasons for closure, but declining attendance contributed. The “only” had 35,000 visitors annually at the end.

I can tell you, 35,000 visitors is a lot, but it’s all relative. Detroit and all the suburbs has a population of over 4 million people and over 31 million visitors to the area annually. Now, 35,000 doesn’t sound like that much and the expense to keep the doors open was just too much. What a shame.

At least we have the Old Chrysler Garage you can still visit. It’s not very large, there isn’t much information about it, but it is a privately owned collection you can visit, and they accept donations.

Europe is full of automakers’ museums. You have the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Museo Ferrari, and more. Plus, Japan has museums like the Toyota Automobile Museum and the Yamaha Motor Communication Plaza.

I think the USA needs to step up, but in the meantime, at least we have the Mack Truck Historical Museum. This museum is not officially affiliated with Mack either, but they do have a very close relationship, and they are dedicated to preserving and restoring Mack Trucks.

In a way, it is probably best; independent organizations operate museums. The rigid structure that comes with large corporations may have contributed to the downfall of all the US car manufacturer museums. Who knows, although I do think it would be cool to see brands curate their own history.

The good news is, there are a lot of museums that specialize in specific marques. The great thing about independent or private museums is they can do whatever they want. This gives us visitors a lot of variety.

Speaking of variety, I want to share one last thing with you, which is my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. This is a museum I founded in 2017 with one car I inherited from my grandpa.

To me, a museum can be so much more than just a building with some old cars. The image is just a rough rendering of the concept, but it should give you insight into what my vision is. 

I see Miles Through Time as a place you go to spend the entire day and even spend the night. The museum’s role is to preserve, share, inspire and serve as an anchor point for the entire campus. Vintage Garage Antiques is and will be a huge shopping destination full of antiques, collectibles and unique artisan items.

The addition of an automotive-themed restaurant, dedicated event spaces, and private/semi-private vehicle storage will enhance the visitor experience and help support the overall mission. Of course, the addition of some sort of racetrack would also be ideal, but this vision is all dependent on who partners with me to make it happen.

Next year, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum will be celebrating 10 years. Crazy, I know. My goal is to ensure the museum is set up for the future and will outlast me. Without being able to leave a massive endowment or own the property outright, this is how I can ensure future generations can continue to learn, be inspired and enjoy the experience.

I encourage you to go out and visit as many automotive museums as possible, and if you can, get involved. I can’t think of any museums that couldn’t use some help.

If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

Plan your next trip, discover your new favorite, or find the nearest museum

 Sean Mathis
Creator of Automotive Museum Guide
Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum

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