My first impactful car memory was driving my grandfather’s Pontiac Firebird. I am one of five girls and we had two cars in the family. We were not allowed to buy our own cars until we graduated from college. On occasion, my Pop Pop let me borrow his Firebird. I’d take it to high school when I needed a car, and it was the first time I drove a car that made me feel something.
When I came to The Henry Ford almost 25 years ago, I was not as familiar with the impact that cars have had on our society. I’ve learned so much from being here, and the value that a vehicle has given to the world is pretty incredible. You can look at a car from so many different perspectives; from its design, the innovation, or technology, to how fast it might go. It’s all part of the package, and there’s so many ways to understand the importance of the automobile in America. Our exhibitions give people that perspective and connect the past to the future.
The Motor City means ‘Can-Do’. We have a can-do spirit in this city; it’s in our DNA and it’s who we are.
I love to look back to see how we got here today. The Roper Steam Carriage from 1865 is, to our knowledge, the oldest surviving American-built automobile, and it’s here in our exhibition. While the Roper itself was a novelty, vehicles like it that followed got people thinking differently about how we get from point A to point B. And of course, there’s Henry Ford’s Quadricycle, which was the beginning for him, and the Model T, starting in 1908, put the world on wheels. They all lift up the ideas of progress, entrepreneurship, innovation, and inventiveness.
The Motor City means ‘Can Do’. We have a can-do spirit in this city, it’s in our DNA. In this town, we are a community that works together.
The Detroit Auto Show revs up people’s imaginations and offers a glimpse into the future. Here at The Henry Ford, we inspire people to create a better tomorrow. I believe that’s what the Detroit Auto Show does. It proves to all of us that the auto industry is innovative and keeps moving forward and it offers us a glimpse of what’s possible.
My Cause:
We have a lot of guests here who come to The Henry Ford. When they see the mission in action, through our programs or unparalleled collections, they are motivated to make their own mark in this world. Now more than ever, arts and cultural organizations are needed in our communities because we’re trusted resources for information, inspiration, and thinking about things differently. There are many ways to support institutions like ours; you can become a member, donate, or support us by visiting in person.