The Walter P Chrysler Museum will be opened for the Chrysler employee car show this Saturday
The Walter P. Chrysler Museum
Back in 1999 when it was founded, the Walter P. Chrysler Museum was a division of Chrysler as well as the first on-sitemuseum to be built by a North American automobile manufacturer. It was later spun off as a nonprofit and, as such, relied on income from admissions, its gift shop, special events and charitable contributions.
And while visiting it was certainly great fun, especially for car buffs, the comparatively small collection of vehicles it maintained (67) as well as the limited floor space in which to display the collection (vehicles had to be rotated) made it difficult making ends meet.
As a result, Chrysler ended up purchasing back the vehicle collection and displays and merging the museum with the Chrysler Foundation while closing the doors to the museum on December 31, 2012. At the time, however, the company noted that in the future the building would be opened for special events, such as the one coming up this weekend.
2014 Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association Charity Car Show
This year, the museum will once again open its doors during the annual Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association (CEMA) charity car show on Saturday, June 7th. Last year, the event attracted more than 400 cars and 2,500 attendees.
Slated to begin at 9 a.m. with this year's them the "100th Anniversary of Dodge", the event will also highlight the 50th Anniversary of the 426 HEMI engine. During the event, two presentations will occur. The first, at 9:30 a.m., will feature members of Chrysler's Design Office team with a program entitled "Birth of a Car" that will highlight the early sketches and inspirations that led to the new 2015 Jeep Renegade and 2015 Chrysler 200.
Meanwhile, the marquee program, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., will be hosted by John Wehrly, the retired engineering manager for the 426 HEMI and Dodge Motorsports, who will present the "426 HEMI, the Early Years."
Both talks will take place in the museum and will be followed by Q and A sessions. Like last year, there will be no admission charge, although donations will be accepted for the show's two benefiting charities.
Event information
What: 25th annual CEMA Charity Car Show
Where: Walter P. Chrysler Museum, 1 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48326
When: Saturday, June 7, 2014
Hours: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 p.m.
Admission: no charge
