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You might have your own ideas about which American classic car is the most iconic, but so does the Smithsonian Institution, whose collection of treasures ranges from ancient artifacts to modern marvels. But in an unconventional twist, its curators want you to weigh in on an upcoming show. And they're asking you to do so in the form of a contest.
The National Museum of American History is preparing to put two of the most historically significant American automobiles on display from its archives, and rather then have their curators choose the cars, they are asking the public to cast votes.
Candidates include a 1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout (the first car built on an assembly line in the U.S., well before the Ford Model T), an 1880 steam-powered tricycle built in Massachusetts, an 1894 Blazer (the first American-made automobile to hit New York City, built by a Tiffany-trained watchmaker), a 1953 Glasspar fiberglass sports car and two modern examples of green propulsion from General Motors: the EV1 and the 1987 Sunraycer solar-powered prototype.
But leading the pack is a 1948 Tucker (the subject of the 1988 Jeff Bridges film). The Tucker was futuristic looking for the time. Its designer, Preston Tucker's eponymous car was hugely innovative and featured such safety devices as disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension,[2] fuel injection, all instruments mounted on the steering wheel, and a padded dashboard.
The Miller and the Olds are in a close race for the second slot. Click here to vote. You have until January 11, 2011.
What car would you choose as among the most iconic in American automobile history? Let me know here.
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