Automotive history contains museums, car factories, motorist meetups and other places where old motor vehicles can be seen and driven.
The vehicle industry pioneered the assembly line, and became highly specialized. It has traditionally had high union membership; see history of organized labor.
Since the 20th century, the development of motor vehicles have been connected with military use, both on the battlefield, and for transportation. They were first applied in World War I, and extensively in World War II in Europe, changing warfare forever.
Destinations
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Map of Automotive history
Europe
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- 1 World of Volvo (Gothenburg, Sweden). An exhibition centre for Volvo Cars and Volvo Group (the commercial vehicle brand).
- 2 Museum of Science and Technology (Tekniska Museet) (Stockholm/Östermalm, Sweden). This large museum tells the tale of Sweden's rich tradition of engineering, with objects from past centuries, and one of the server racks from a 2008 police raid against the Pirate Bay.
- 3 Mobilia (Kangasala, Finland). The Finnish automobile and road museum. The collections include almost 63,000 objects.
- 4 Uusikaupunki Automobile Museum (Uusikaupunki, Finland). An automobile museum in the immediate vicinity of the Valmet Automotive factory.
- 5 Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (Turin, Italy). The collection houses over 170 vehicles, from 18th-century carriages to Formula 1 racers, and lots of gorgeous red sports cars.
- 6 BMW Museum (Munich/North, Germany). Extensive museum displaying the evolution of motoring technology, from the earliest days to future concepts.
- 7 Rolls-Royce Museum (Dornbirn, Austria). This museum is the most extensive of its kind in the world. Founded in 1999, it houses more than 1000 exhibits, including several dozen classic vehicles, in a space of about 3000 m². The museum also organises special rides.
- 8 Volkswagen Museum (Stifftung Automuseum Volkswagen), Wolfsburg, Germany. More than 130 cars, featuring dozens of iconic Beetles through the decades along with VW vans, Karmann Ghias and more modern models. Tours of the Volkswagen Wolfsburg factory complex are available.
Asia and Oceania
[edit]- 9 Tofaş Anatolian Car Museum (Bursa, Turkey). Bursa is a major centre of the Turkish automotive industry. This museum showcases its evolution from horse-drawn carriages to the present day.
- 10 National Motor Museum (Birdwood, South Australia). Contains one of the largest collections of cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles in the world. The collection comprises over 300 vehicles dating from the turn of the century to the present day.
- 11 Beijing Auto Museum (北京汽车博物馆) (Fengtai District, Beijing, China).
- 12 Shanghai Auto Museum (上海汽车博物馆) (Jiading District, Shanghai, China).
- 13 Casa Corazon Motorcycle Museum (Lemery, Philippines). A private collection with many bikes and some classic cars. Lots of BMW machines including one from World War II with a machine gun mounted on the sidecar.
- Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, Japan. Comprehensive automotive museum featuring a diverse collection of cars from manufacturers around the world. Includes exhibits on car culture and more.
North America
[edit]- 14 R.E. Olds Transportation Museum (Lansing, USA). A museum dedicated to the founder of Oldsmobile, which was later bought by GM and was for years a popular US auto brand.
- 15 Canadian Automotive Museum (Oshawa, Ontario). A two floor trip through old-time cars in a former car dealership. Cars on display include a hundred-year-old fire truck, a Ford Model T, a boat/car hybrid, a steam powered car, one of the world's first Rolls-Royces and a 1983 Delorean.
- 16 Museo del Automovil, Mexico City/Coyoacan. Car museum with a collection of over 120 automobiles dating back to a 1904 Oldsmobile.
- 17 Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan. Large museum complex with separate facilities for the Innovation museum, Deerwood Village (where you can ride in a Model T Ford), and a tour of Ford's modern Rouge Truck Factory where you can see new F-series trucks being assembled.
South America
[edit]- 18 Museo del Automovil, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Explore a century of automotive history in Argentina seen through the rear view mirror of more than a hundred cars, commercial trucks, and dozens of historic motorcycles. The museum includes replicas of early 20th century gas stations, drive-ins and car marketing materials.