Enjoy a great opportunity to see vehicles from the unique and prized automobile collections of Northeast Ohio car clubs and local collectors - a must for those who work in the automotive industries! Before the end of your visit, be sure to cast your vote for the best car in Cleveland.

Details

This October, motor on over to The Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in University Circle and join the Friends of the Crawford and the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum (CAAM) for Best of the Best: Crawford Car Club Showcase. View top vehicles from local car clubs and collectors in this extraordinary exhibit, which opens on October 15, 2008.

This is a special exhibit designed with you in mind if you design cars, manufacture cars, sell cars, race cars, repair cars, disassemble cars, insure cars, manufacture or sell parts of cars, collect cars, go to school to study cars or just love cars - Best of the Best is for you!!!

Enjoy a great opportunity to see vehicles from the unique and prized automobile collections of Northeast Ohio car clubs and local collectors - a must for those who work in the automotive industries! Before the end of your visit, be sure to cast your vote for the best car in Cleveland.

A variety of vehicles will be on display in the exhibit, including:

· 1914 Model T – Model T Club

· 1930 Jordan Speedway Ace - Classic Car Club of America (CCCA)

· 1937 Mercedes – Mercedes Club

· 1938 BMW 327

· 1939 Lincoln Zephyr – Custom Crankshaft Cruisers Club

· 1969 Ford Mustang 428 – Mustang Club of America

· 1963 Triumph TR4 – North Coast Triumph Association

· 1965 Cadillac – Cadillac Club

· 1972 454 Chevelle Convertible - Chevelle Owners Club

· 1979 Trans Am – Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Cars Club

· 1980 512bb – Ferrari Owners Club


Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum Director Allan Unrein and Friends of the CAAM will introduce highlights of the Best of the Best: Crawford Car Club Showcase exhibit at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 15. Light refreshments will be served. Free with museum admission.

Car enthusiasts and museum lovers can host their holiday party or fundraising event at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The museum’s distinctive blend of history and charm make it the perfect backdrop for any event. For availability and event rental rates, contact our Sales Manager at 216-721-5722, ext. 290 or email wkehoe@wrhs.org.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is one of the top ten automotive museums in the United States, with nearly 200 unique, vintage and classic automobiles airplanes and motorcycles. The Crawford’s exhibits alternate regularly, so museum visitors can always discover something new among the many rare and historic vehicles on display.

Best of the Best: Car Club Showcase is brought to you by The Friends of the Crawford, Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers’ Association and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

The Western Reserve Historical Society is located at 10825 East Blvd. in University Circle.

For more information on Best of the Best: Car Club Showcase, call 216-721-5722.

Installing the Exhibit

Reorganizing our car collection and hosting thirty loaned cars is no easy task! Here's a look at how the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is pulling it off. 

Here is an explanation from our Senior Registrar, Danielle Routhier Peck, about the logistics in accepting loaned artifacts for an exhibit,"To begin the loan process the appropriate curator or archivist (History Museum, Library/Archives, and CAAM) will contact the potential lender in order to find out about an object that the WRHS may like to borrow for exhibition or research. Terms of the loan depend on availability, condition, length of the loan, and insurance evaluation. Department managers generally approve all loans coming into and out of the Society.

When the WRHS borrows objects, the Society agrees to treat the object with the utmost care for its safety and integrity. An application for a loan agreement is then sent to the Registrar’s office. The Registrar will issue the loan paperwork which specifies the lender’s full name, address, phone number, length of the loan, condition, value and a description of the object being borrowed. In the case of automobiles, this would also include the VIN number. Terms of the loan are listed on the back of the loan agreement which outline all legal requirements and responsibilities on behalf of both the lender and borrower. Insurance is also negotiated as covered by the individual or by the Society.

Either prior to the automobile coming to the Society or once delivered, both parties sign the loan agreement and retain one copy. The signed copy is held in the Registrar’s office and entered into a loan database which tracks all incoming and outgoing loans. Upon termination of the loan, a Receipt of Delivery is issued and signed by both parties which finalizes transfer back to the individual and absolves the Society of any further obligations.

Lenders to and from the Society are acknowledged on object labels and other signage in the Museum while on display."