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MICHIGAN DREAM GARAGE – THE ULTIMATE MUSCLE CARS
Hickory Corners, MI
If you were to close your eyes and image your "dream garage" full of muscle cars, what would you see?
The Gilmore Car Museum, in Hickory Corners, MI, has assembled 22 of the World's rarest and most sought after muscle cars of the 1960s and 70s in its "Michigan Dream Garage – The Ultimate Muscle Cars." This special exhibit will run throughout the Museum's 2007 season, which begins on May 1.
The Gilmore Car Museum looked beyond their own collection of autos and sought out benchmark cars from number of private collectors to create this year's "Dream Garage." Included in this all-new exhibition that's sure to rev up your imagination is a 1964 Pontiac GTO, considered the original muscle car; six authentic Yenko Chevrolets, one of which was formerly owned by baseball superstar Reggie Jackson; the 1963 Impala "Grey Ghost," which was recently restored by Boyd Coddington; and many more.
Muscle cars—a truly American phenomena of the 1960s and 70s—were high-performance cars produced by the auto manufacturers and sold directly through local dealers. Marketed extensively to young males, these cars soon were in great demand and set off an intense competition between car companies to produce the most powerful and extreme street machines.
One particular dealer, Yenko Chevrolet of Canonsburg, PA, soon became one of the best known and largest suppliers of muscle cars during this period. They began by ordering 100 special factory-built high performance Corvairs in 1966, then moved to offering customized Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas.
By the early 1970s, the oil crisis, stricter emission standards, high insurance cost, and safety concerns began to seriously impact muscle car sales and the larger engines were dropped. Now, after more than 30 years, these cars have become highly sought after by collectors as they fill their own "dream garages."
Today, when it comes to vintage muscle cars we often see replicas—"clones" or "tribute cars"—of the most extraordinary examples. The Gilmore Car Museum offers an opportunity to see the real thing in their special exhibit, "Michigan Dream Garage – The Ultimate Muscle Cars," which continues through October 31st.
The Gilmore Car Museum's 41st season begins on May 1, 2007 and remains open daily from of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. on weekends), through the end of October. Located in the heart of west Michigan, the Museum is midway between Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek, on M-43 and Hickory Road.
Exhibit list
May 1 - October 31, 2007
1963 Chevy Impala Factory Z-11 427 lightweight
1963 Pontiac Catalina, H.O. Street Engine Tri-power lightweight
1963 ½ Ford 427 Galaxie light weight
1964 Pontiac GTO
1965 Dodge Coronet – Hemi, factory SS lightweight
1966 Chevelle SS Convertible, COPO 9737
1966 Ford Fairlane
1966 Corvair Yenko - #97 of 100
1967 Camaro Yenko – Formerly owned by Reggie Jackson
1968 Camaro Yenko
1969 Camaro Yenko
1969 Chevelle Yenko
1969 Nova Yenko- Formerly owned by Reggie Jackson
1968 Cobra Jet Mustang, Gas Ronda racer
1968 AMXFactory Racer
1968 Shelby Mustang
1970 Buick Gran Sport
1970 Challenger R/T Hemi
1970 Olds 442Convertible455cu in
1970 Boss Mustang 429
1971 Charger R/T
1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
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