“Engineering + Design = Passion” is the title of the new exhibit running November 20, 2021, through February 20, 2022, at the Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The exhibit features 14 post-war sports and grand touring cars from the Nick Begovich Collection.
Among those vehicles is an 1,800-mile 1964 Porsche 904, which the museum notes “is considered one of the most original 904s in the world. The car has never been taken apart and has been recently recommissioned by SpeedSport Tuning and is once again road worthy.”
1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS 
1964 ATS 2500 GTS
Also featured is a 1969 Lamborghini Miura, purchased new by Begovich in Rome, driven while there and then shipped home and put into storage, and one of only six still-existing ATS 2500 GTS coupes.
Begovich was a retired engineer, scientist, tinkerer, philanthropist and car collector in Fullerton, California. His cars were sold after his death at age 98 in 2020.
One reason for the low mileage on so many of his vehicles was the fact that his home was about a mile from where he worked, and he liked to walk back and forth.
Lane welcomes vets and Toys for Tots
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, offers free admission through November 15 to active and retired members of the US military. It also is accepting Toys for Tots donations and offers free admission through December 6 to those donating an unwrapped toy worth at least $10.
Those visiting the museum now through May 30, 2022, can see several special exhibits, including a stack of vehicles, propeller-driven vehicles that were not designed to fly, fabric-covered cars, open-wheel racing cars, a celebration of cars of the 1980s and ‘90s, and “Oil & Water,” vehicles with amphibious capabilities.
The museum also offers free 30-minute vault tours of its downstairs vehicle storage area.
Hypercars at the Petersen
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles says its two-part exhibit opening December is designed in part to define the world of hypercars, “the fastest and most exclusive cars money can buy.” Over an 18-month period, the museum will rotate 30 such vehicles through its exhibit, “Hypercars: The Allure of the Extreme.”
Among vehicles to be displayed are the Aria FXE concept, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Caparo T1, Devel Sixteen, Hennessey Venom F5, Laraki Sahara, McLaren Speedtail, Rimac Concept One, and more. Two motorcycles also will be showcased — the Lotus C-01 and the Aston Martin AMB 001.
Saratoga adds Florida auction
The Saratoga Automobile Museum in upstate New York stages an annual fund-raising classic car auction and has announced a second such event for 2022, but this one will be held in Naples, Florida, at the Ultimate Garages venue and will benefit the St Matthew’s House as well as the museum.
The auction will be staged in conjunction with the 18th annual Cars on the 5th concours and Jetport reception.
Gilmore offers free admission to vets
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, offers free admission November 11-14 to active and former US military personnel.
Docent training at Sacramento museum
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento is accepting applications for its docent training program, which beings January 19, 2022. The course runs 20 sessions, meeting from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Special events this weekend
“The Future of Motorsports” will be the subject of a special presentation from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. November 12 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in a partnership between the Petersen Automotive Museum and Velocity International.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, hosts a Veteran Mustang Day car show November 13.
From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on November 13, Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts author Dave Wolin and his book, Riverside, a 484-page Volume 1 history — in words, photos and with a DVD included — of the famous Southern California road racing circuit.
It’s a Hoods-Up Weekend on November 13-14 at the Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island.
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum and Main Line Cars and Coffee will host a cruise-in with concours-style judging from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. November 14 at the museum in Philadelphia. In addition to hosting the event, the museum will be open without admission fees to all participants.
BritWeek, a celebration of British culture and innovation, is scheduled for November 14 with 75 of the “most iconic British automobiles” parading from the Petersen Automotive Museum through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. The cars can be viewed on the museum’s rooftop parking deck before the tour begins at 10 a.m.
Mark your calendar
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, launches its book club at 6 p.m. (Pacific) November 16 via Zoom. Its first selection is The Brown Bullet: Rajo Jack’s Drive to Integrate Auto Racing by Bill Poehler.
The Canadian Automobile Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, will feature Canada’s first automobile at its Third Thursday presentation November 18 at 7 p.m. The subject is “Father Belcourt’s Automobile Untangled,” with historian Rudy Croken sharing facts and legends behind the automobile imported to Prince Edward Island in 1866.
Two new exhibits open November 18 at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania — “Survivors: Unrestored Classic Cars, Trucks & Motorcycles,” antique vehicles that retain most of their original components, typically paint, interior and other major parts, and “Packard Showroom,” featuring, of course, Packards of various models.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, opens its “Winter Wonderland” holiday lights show from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on November 24, featuring classic cars in snow globes, rides in vintage vehicles, a maze of holiday inflatables, a visit to Santa’s Garage, outdoor artwork, a vintage Christmas tree lot with Shasta camper trailer, and more.
Brian Redman will be presented the 2021 Spirit of Competition award December 1 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. The annual award goes to someone who has made significant contributions to motorsports. Redman is a nine-time sports car racing champion and continues to be an ambassador for the sport and for vintage racing.
Former General Motors design director Ed Welburn will present “The Golden Age of American Automotive Design” from noon until 3 p.m. December 4 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.
The new Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, midway between Chattanooga and Atlanta, has announced December 8 as its opening day for visitors. The museum is on a 35-acre site and includes three buildings with 65,000-square-feet of display space and a cafe. It is part of the Georgia Museums Inc., which includes the Booth Western Art Museum, Bartow History Museum and Tellus Science Museum.
Beaulieu, England, home of the National Motor Museum, and Palace House, will host a new outdoor Christmas Fair from December 10-12.
The National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, hosts the “Run, Run Rudolph 5K” at 5 p.m. December 11. The run travels through 3.2-miles of holiday lights and supports Toys for Tots.
The Motor bar and restaurant at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee will host ugly sweater parties from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 11 and 18. It will feature Breakfast with Santa events on December 12 and 19 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Canadian Automobile Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, offers its Third Thursday lecture at 7 p.m. December 16 on Zoom with Dumaresq de Pencier featuring “Early Electric Cars of Canada: 1897-1927.” The museum also is working on its next exhibtion, “Wires to Wheels: Electric Vehicles in Canada and Beyond,” scheduled to open in July 2022.
The Montagu family Palace House, which shares its grounds with the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England, offers a trip back to 1889 with its Victorian Christmas event from December 18 to January 2.
The grand opening of the Segerstrom Shelby museum and event center has been rescheduled for January 20, 2022, in Irvine, California.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email larrye@classiccars.com .
