Pioneers in African American Automotive History at the AACA Museum

In honor of Black History Month, the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum will present a showcase of pioneers in the African American community who contributed to the advancement of the automobile industry. These men and women laid the foundation for others to pursue careers in such fields as franchised car dealers, designers, custom car builders, race car drivers and manufacturers.

Black History is honored during the month of February and the AACA Museum will facilitate a mini-exhibit, Pioneers in African American Auto History through April 30. This first annual exhibit begins with the struggles of African-Americans following the end of slavery and their desire to have ideas and inventions recognized as equal. Patrons will learn about the only documented African American car manufacturer, C.R. Patterson, and W.H. Phelps, who patented an apparatus for washing oversized vehicles, among other esteemed names.

About the AACA Museum

The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, displays restored automobiles, buses and motorcycles in unique life-like scenes representing the 1890s - 1980s in a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. Special exhibits change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles. The museum is in South Hanover Township, located just off Route 39, one mile west of Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pa. The Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information, call 717-566-7100 or visit www.AACAMuseum.org.