In The News
America on Wheels museum opens April 12
From muscle cars to electric cars to ones that run on hydrogen gas, the fun and innovation of the automotive market will be on display April 12 when the new America On Wheels museum opens its doors at 10 a.m. in Allentown, Pa.
Located in the Lehigh Landing neighborhood, America On Wheels includes all modes of over-the-road transport from bicycles and motorcycles to family sedans and race cars, Class 8 heavy-duty trucks and personal transporters.
“Remember getting your driver’s license, your first date in a car, driving down the road with the top down or windows open, radio blasting and wind whipping through your hair?†said Linda Merkel, the museum’s executive director. “These are more than memories that prompt a smile. They are the mile markers on our journey through life.â€
Highlights of the $17 million, 48,000-square-foot facility include:
Classic muscle cars such as a 1967 Shelby GT 500, a 1966 Corvette 427, a 1969 COPO Camaro and a 1964 Pontiac GTO convertible.
A “Car of the Future†exhibit featuring a 1997 General Motors EV1, one of the first commercially available electric cars. Offered only for lease between 1996 and 2001, as depicted in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, the EV1 could be charged at the customer’s home at night in three hours or at charging stations throughout California and Arizona.
The Mack Trucks Historical Museum, including seven vehicles, 100,000 photos and technical data on every vehicle Mack has made in more than 100 years.
“A lot of museums are a bunch of old dinosaurs sitting in a row,†said Jack Curcio, president of the museum’s board and former CEO of Mack Trucks. “This is a very interactive building. We have a lot of classic vehicles, but they are included in a meaningful story. There are several virtual reality experiences. The kids will drive a Mack Granite truck over the road and into a construction site. They can have a similar experience in a racing car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.â€
In addition to Mack Trucks, other partners in the museum include Air Products & Chemicals, Allison, the American Truck Foundation and the Society of Automotive Engineers International.