Gilmore Car Museum Showcases Impact of Women on Automotive Industry
The “Women Who Motor” exhibit at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, celebrates the influence, impact, and contributions of women in the automotive industry. Running from July 2019 to July 2020, the special exhibit reveals that women have been interested in and integral to the advancement of the automobile and automotive culture since its beginning.
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Some of the intrepid females and their automobiles you’ll learn about when exploring the exhibit include Betty Skelton, “The First Lady of Firsts,” and her 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Hardtop Convertible; Della Crewe and a 1914 Harley-Davidson V-Twin Motorcycle; and Alice Ramsey, “The First Lady of Automotive Travel,” and her 1910 Maxwell Model G.
According to The National Aviation Hall of Fame, Skelton, an accomplished and record-setting pilot (at age 12 she made her first solo flight), she set a stock car record while driving the pace car at Dayton Beach during Speed Week and served as the first female test drive for the automotive industry. Her automotive accolades include a total of four Feminine World Land Speed Records.
Crewe, along with her Boston bull pup Trouble, traversed 5,738 miles from Waco, Texas, to New York City on her two-speed twin Harley-Davidson motorcycle with sidecar.
Ramsey was the first female to cross the country on a 3,600-mile road trip (from Manhattan to San Francisco). She set out on June 9, 1909. Only 152 miles of the trip included paved roads, and Ramsey’s vehicle reached a maximum speed of 42 mph. The trip took 59 days to complete.
Also on display is famed race car driver Danica Patrick’s 2005 Panoz G-Force, her rookie car in the Indianapolis 500.
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The Gilmore Car Museum, the largest auto museum in North America, is situated on 90 acres and boasts approximately 400 vintage vehicles and an authentic 1941 Blue Moon Diner.
News Source: Gilmore Car Museum, The National Aviation Hall of Fame, Harley-Davidson, RoadTrippers
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