Breaking News: Frank Markus of Motor Trend Announced as Gala Keynote Speaker

MotorCities is pleased to announce our keynote speaker for the 25th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, November 8 at Ford House. He is Frank Markus of Motor Trend magazine, and he will be discussing “Trends Driving the Automotive Future.”

Markus is Technical Director in the Detroit office of Motor Trend magazine. He graduated from the Chrysler Institute of Engineering and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He worked at Chrysler Corporation, and Car and Driver magazine, before joining Motor Trend magazine as Technical Director in Detroit. He has published over 2000 articles on automotive technology and manufacturing. His recent articles discuss innovations which will change automobiles forever.

More information on the event and a link to buy tickets are below.

Get Your Tickets By October 25 for MotorCities' 25th Anniversary Gala

Tickets are now available for the MotorCities National Heritage Area’s 25th Anniversary Gala event, scheduled for Wednesday, November 8, 2023 from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Ford House Visitors Center, located at 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores.

Guests will enjoy dinner, drinks, a silent auction, the opportunity to view exhibits and stroll the grounds, special guests including our keynote speaker Frank Markus of Motor Trend (see above) and MotorCities’ annual Milestone Award winner, the announcement of the 25^th anniversary Awards of Excellence, and a tribute to a quarter century of MotorCities’ achievements. This celebration also marks the observance of MotorCities’ 10^th annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day, with special recognition from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature.  

Tickets for the Gala are $100 for MotorCities members and $125 for nonmembers. RSVPs are required by October 25, so reserve your place now by clicking the animated graphic above or at www.motorcities.org/25th-anniversary-events.

Proceeds will help MotorCities continue to fulfill its mission of preserving and promoting Michigan auto and labor heritage. 

Visit Detroit is the Presenting Sponsor for the Gala. General Motors is a Founding Partner/Award of Excellence Sponsor. The UAW International Union is our Michigan Auto Heritage Day Sponsor. Ford House is an Award of Excellence Sponsor. Supporting Sponsors include Albert Kahn Associates, Choose Lansing, Destination Ann Arbor, and The Henry Ford. Event Sponsors include Doeren Mayhew, Don Nicholson Enterprises, Gilmore Car Museum, Grigg Graphics, and Project Arts and Humanities.

Story of the Week

The 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Was a Great Looking Muscle Car

by Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher

 One of General Motors’ most exciting and memorable muscle cars from the 1960s, was the Pontiac GTO Judge. Introduced for the 1969 model year, the Pontiac GTO Judge was targeted to the young adult market.

With its split grille design and bright orange color theme, the GTO Judge was a powerful looking muscle car. Some auto historians have said that automakers in this era were seeking a better way to spread their super-car message to the right crowd of young adults. Given those circumstances, 1969 became a big year for GM muscle car advertising.

The 1969 Judge became very popular with its advertising tagline “The Judge can be brought.” The combination of a very effective advertising campaign that was embraced by young people plus the addition of the Ram-Air III V8 engine made the Judge models very popular. 

To learn more about this classic and see more images, click below.

This Week's Story

Celebrating 25 Years with Great MotorCities Programs

As part of the celebration of our 25th Anniversary, today we are continuing a series highlighting 25 MotorCities Programs introduced over the last 25 years. 

The 19th is the National Park Service Centennial.

As a National Heritage Area, we are in a unique position to have the autonomy of a stand-alone nonprofit organization, while also being supported as a part of the programming of the National Park Service. At no time did this relationship shine more than in 2016 when the Park Service celebrated its centennial. This year-long observance launched the nationwide "Find Your Park" campaign. Throughout the year, there were special activities around MotorCities like the premier of the National Parks 3D film at the Michigan Science Center; the Every Kid in a Park program bringing thousands of students to discover their public lands; and the culminating celebration of parks at The Henry Ford to swear in a new generation of NPS Junior Rangers. However, our biggest project was the "Find Your Road Trip" booklet which was circulated across the state. The booklet connected visitors to attractions within the heritage area, but it also challenged them to visit other NPS sites across Michigan to receive recognition from the governor. That project received the National Park Service Director's Partnership Award for the statewide collaboration in connecting people to parks and public spaces. 

The 20th is MotorCities Highway Signs. 

In November and December 2019, drivers around Michigan started noticing something new along the highways -- those familiar brown National Park Service signs with a message welcoming them to the MotorCities National Heritage Area! The first nine signs were installed in November and December 2019 and were the culmination of many years of work with the Michigan Department of Transportation. An additional five signs were added in the Spring of 2020 to bring the total to 14! The signs (pictured above) had an immediate and significant impact on awareness of MotorCities, based upon visits to our website and social media platforms during 2020 and 2021. For example, pageviews on the MotorCities.org website doubled in 2020 and increased another 50 percent in 2021. MotorCities is seeking funding for a second phase of highway signs that would double the current number in the years to come. 

Watch for two more programs in this space next week! Catch all the previous entries by clicking here.

This Week in Auto Heritage 

On October 14, 1857, engineer and inventor Elwood Haynes was born in Portland, IN. Haynes designed one of the very first American automobiles, the Haynes “Pioneer.”

After finishing graduate school at Johns Hopkins University, Haynes worked at a natural-gas plant in Kokomo, IN. He had to travel frequently for the job on a horse-drawn carriage over poor quality country roads. This caused Haynes to contemplate a different type of vehicle. 

First, he considered a steam-powered car, then an electric engine, but ultimately settled on a one-cylinder, one-horsepower gasoline engine to power the vehicle. The completed "Pioneer" was an 820-pound, open-bodied, push-start vehicle for one passenger with a chain drive, a steering tiller and 28-inch bicycle wheels. It could not travel in reverse. 

On July 4, 1894, Haynes took his vehicle out for its debut drive. He hitched it to a team of horses and pulled it outside of town. Then, he left the horses, started the motor and drove into town at the slow but steady rate of 6-7 miles per hour. Five years later, Haynes became the first person to drive 1,000 miles in a car. 

Haynes was inducted into The Automotive Hall of Fame in 2015. (Image above from the Elwood Haynes Museum)

Events Coming to the MotorCities 

Saturday: Trunk or Treat at Stahl's Automotive Collection in Chesterfield Twp.

This Saturday from 1 - 4 p.m., celebrate the 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat event at Stahl's Automotive Collection in Chesterfield Township. 

Any cars are welcome to pass out candy in the museum's South lot. Kids can enjoy bounce houses, candy, cider, donuts and a coloring station! The museum will also be open during the event. 

For more information, click here.

Sunday: Fall Open House at the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Twp.

This Sunday from 1 - 5 p.m., come out to the Packard Proving Grounds for their Fall Open House event.

The events includes a Cruise-in Classic Car Show. Come see classic cars, grab a bite from food trucks on hand, check out many vendors, and ride in a Packard! All makes and models of collector vehicles will be welcomed to join the event with no registration fees. There will also be live music. 

The event is free to the public, but donations toward the Packard Proving Grounds are encouraged and appreciated.

More details are available here.

Check Out the Newly Revamped Southwest Detroit Auto Heritage Guide

As we close Hispanic Heritage Month, check out the new and improved Southwest Detroit Auto Heritage Guide on our MotorCities website. Watch for improved navigation and additional content as you explore this Detroit neighborhood that has played a key role in the origins and continued success of the automotive industry.

Click here for more!

Hey Kids!  Become a MotorCities Junior Ranger! Click here for details!