The
Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee invites families to cruise
down memory lane at “Iron, Steel and the Automobile” Sunday, June 21,
from noon to 4 p.m. This Father’s Day antique car show offers fun and
entertainment for all ages, with live music, more than 50 vintage
vehicles, food concessions, ice cream and a free showing of the
documentary "Henry Ford" in the museum’s auditorium.The event celebrates the vital connection between the region’s iron-mining industry and the steel used by Michigan’s auto industry. This link between iron and the automobile, spanning more than 100 years, is central to 20th-century history.
The auto show offers the unique opportunity to see rare and classic cars and learn more about them from their owners. The featured vehicles were manufactured between 1900 and 1969. All are in original condition or have been restored to their original appearance. Event attendees can expect to see numerous Model As, Model Ts, touring cars and pickup trucks. Among these will be Mike Schneider’s 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Truck Camper (one of only 300 built); a 1957 Ford convertible with a retractable metal roof, owned by Joe and Elaine Drobny; and Louis Ironside’s 1966 Chevrolet Suburban, from the final production year for two-door Suburbans.
New to this year’s auto exhibit will be a 1929 Ford “woody” station wagon, recently acquired by Gary and Laverne White of Gwinn, Michigan, and with a body manufactured in Kingsford, Michigan. Chris Beard, also from Gwinn, will show a 1969 Cadillac Hearse. The oldest registered vehicle will be the rare 1900 American Metropolitan horse-drawn, steam-powered fire pump from the Michigamme Historical Society.
The Bluffs Orchestra, from Chassell, Michigan, will provide jazz and swing-era music from the 1940s and 1950s. Food concessions will be provided by Teaching Family Homes. Event-goers can grab a sweet treat for dessert from the ice cream truck on the grounds.
The 26th annual “Iron, Steel, and the Automobile” show offers free museum admission; there is a $3 per-car parking donation to offset the cost of the event. The event is sponsored by the Michigan Iron Industry Museum Advisory Board.
For more information about registering a vehicle for the auto show or other events, call 906-475-7857 or visit www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. The museum entrance is located on U.S. 41 E, a mile west of Junction M-35, in Negaunee Township.
