AACA Museum, Inc. earns ‘Special Achievement in Exhibits’ award

Hershey, PA - Each Spring, the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM) holds their annual conference which this year took place in South Bend, Indiana at the Studebaker National Museum. The annual NAAMY awards competition honors the work of nonprofit automotive transportation museums. The awards recognize industry leaders for achievement, professionalism, and creativity. They are designed to further promote professionalism in automotive museum managerial, curatorial, educational and promotional work. 

“To elevate the stature of the NAAMY Awards and their importance to our members, this year we introduced a new “Special Achievement in Exhibits” award. Stated Matt Anderson, NAAM President, and Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford. The AACA Museum, Inc. earned this award for their 2018 summer exhibition of “Mustangs: Six Generations of America’s Favorite Pony Car.”

“The AACA Museum, Inc. is honored to have won the first-ever Special Achievement in Exhibits Award as this represents our ongoing commitment to excellence and high standards within our field.” Stated Jeffrey Bliemeister, AACA Museum Executive Director. “We present a diverse palette of changing exhibits and innovative events that provide a World-Class automotive experience for our guests.” 

The exhibit opening was a dream come true for the AACA Museum, Inc. Not only were they able to kick-off a new exhibit showcasing all six generations of Mustangs, including some very rare examples; but they were also able to share the back story of the creation and history of the Mustang with the attendees through presentations by the actual designers and engineers who were part of the process.

The panel discussion included: Gale Halderman, Design Director for Ford Motor Company and designer of the original Mustang. John Clor, Enthusiast Communications Manager for Ford Performance and author of “Mustang 2015 The New Generation” and “The Mustang Dynasty” John is also the host of his own local cable-access TV show, “Cars in Context.”Art Hyde was a former Chief Engineer at Ford Global Product Development and Mustang Chief Program Engineer along with being the creator of the original Bullitt Mustang in 2001 and the Mach 1 Mustang in 2003; Chuck Cantwell, was the project engineer for Shelby American for the GT 350 and author of “Shelby Mustang GT350: My Years Designing, Testing, and Racing Carroll’s Legendary Mustangs.”

The panel of speakers that came together for this program provided an extraordinary experience for all the attendees. They covered all aspects and generations of Mustangs and were able to present a first-hand account of the story behind the success of this brand and some of the trials and tribulations along the way.

About the AACA Museum, Inc.

The AACA Museum Inc., a Smithsonian Affiliate, displays beautifully restored automobiles, buses, and motorcycles in unique life-like scenes representing the 1890s – 1980s on a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. The AACA Museum, Inc. has been and remains an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, not affiliated with The Antique Automobile Club of America. As one of the largest automotive museums in the country, AACA Museum, Inc. features special exhibits that change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles. 

The AACA Museum, Inc. is home to the Cammack Tucker Collection; along with being the home of the Tucker Automobile Club of America. The Museum holds the World’s largest and most prestigious permanent collection of Tucker Automobiles and related artifacts. The Museum is in South Hanover Township, located just off Route 39, one mile west of Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Regular admission $12.50, seniors age 61 and older $11.50, juniors age 4-12 $9.50, children age 3 and under, AACA Museum, Inc. Members and AACA Members are FREE. The Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The AACA Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. For further information, please call 717-566-7100 or visit www.AACAMuseum.org.