Automotive Hall of Fame

History

The Automotive Hall of Fame was founded on October 18, 1939 in New York City by a group called the "Automobile Old Timers." Its mission was to perpetuate the memories of early automotive pioneers and to honor people from all parts of the auto industry worldwide. It went through for adverse times for its first three decades, and had four name changes. Its second iteration was "Automotive Old Timers" adopted in 1957 and intended to recognize its broader base, including automotive-related industries. In 1971 it became "The Automotive Organization Team." Finally, it became "The Automotive Hall of Fame" which resulted in greater growth.

The organization moved to Washington, D.C. in 1960, sharing space in the National Automobile Dealers Association building. In 1971, it moved to Midland, Michigan where it got its first home at Northwood University. In 1997, it moved to its present home in Dearborn, Michigan, adjacent to The Henry Ford museum. It is within the MotorCities National Heritage Area, an affiliate of the U.S. National Park Service dedicated to preserving and promoting the automotive and labor history of Michigan. The facilities with automobile history artifacts are in a 25,000-square-foot building containing a small theater and a central enclosed building area for public events, meetings and other exhibits. The Hall honors members of the automotive industry each year. There were 250 members to the Automotive Hall of Fame by 2015. These inductees include the founders of Benz, Bosch, Bugatti, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Cord, Daimler, Dodge, Duesenberg, Durant, Duryea, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Maybach, Olds, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault and Toyota among others.

In 1946 the hall worked with the "National Golden Jubilee" (50th anniversary of the creation of the automobile). As General William S. Knudsen stated, the selection to the Hall of Fame included "Ten pioneers whose engineering and administrative genius made possible the present day." The selection was done in cooperation with the Automobile Manufacturers Association, the "National Automotive Golden Jubilee committee of which Knudeson was president. Edgar Apperson, William Crapo Durant, J. Frank Jersey, Henry Ford, George O'Malley, Charles B. King, Charles W Nash, Barney Oldfield, Ransom E. Olds, and Alfred P Sloan Jr. were selected.

The Hall celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014. A private tour with the Hall of Fame president, William R. Chapin, is available.

At annual induction ceremonies an occasion is made to honor and remember past inductees.

The Hall of Fame is reported to be moving to downtown Detroit.

Eligibility

A person must be notable in the automobile industry to be eligible for induction. To receive the award is considered recognition that the person is a significant contributor to the early history of the development of the motor vehicle. Along with the Hall of Fame induction awards, the Hall also honors individuals with significant awards each year. The Hall issues four types of awards:

1. Hall of Fame Induction,
2. Industry Leader of the Year, awarded to one outstanding leader each year,
3. Distinguished Service Citation, initiated in 1940 to honor people from the worldwide automotive industry,
4. Young Leadership & Excellence award, which recognizes up-and-coming future leaders of the industry.

For the awards 1, 3 and 4, anyone can submit a nomination by filling out the form or sending a letter, along with reference materials that may assist the Awards Committee. The Industry Leader of the Year Award is nominated and awarded solely by the Awards Committee, so no external nominations are accepted.

Automobile Industry Leader of the Year

Other similar institutions