Nothing so defines American society as much as the cars we drive. “Defined by Design” explores 120 years of automobile design, innovation, and American history, highlighted by a centerpiece exhibition of eight iconic Motorama “Dream Cars” under one roof for the first time. Nick LaCasse, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners talks about the exhibit.
“The Motorama actually has its backstory all the way to the midcentury,” LaCasse says. “It really took off in the early 50s with General Motors … they would do these annual car shows, eventually called the Motorama in 1951. It would show the future of what the automobile would be.”
At first, LaCasse says, only three or four people had the chance to view these new car designs. They were normally not put into production, but the technology used was often incorporated into other General Motors products. As the Motorama event opened to the public in following years, crowds grew. Once the show was over, many of these experimental concept cars were relegated to the scrap yard and were crushed.
“For the first time in roughly 60 years, we will have the most amount of those surviving vehicles,” LaCasse says. “Of course, they were always crushed, so each one of these is a very unique survival story.”
Additional vehicles throughout the year-long exhibition illustrate the evolution of automobile design, from the Brass Era through the 1960s, featuring classics such as the Duesenberg SJ, 1963 Corvette, Edsel Roadster, and others. Richard Earl, grandson of automotive designer Harvey Earl, will give a lecture on opening day of the exhibit on April 11, 2026.
The Motorama exhibit opens on Saturday, April 11, 2026, and will be open year-long. Tickets are available online or at the ticket desk at the Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 W Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, Michigan.
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