Car shows, with and without coffee, this weekend at museums

Saturday, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana, will host “Cars and Coffee” in its Education and Exhibit Plaza from 9 to 11 a.m.

The Kansas City Automotive Museum in Kansas holds “Cars and Coffee” at the museum from 8 to 10 a.m., followed by the museum’s third annual People’s Choice Car Show from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The show includes live music and $1,000 in cash prizes plus awards.

The AACA Museum hosts the 9th Annual Cadillac and LaSalle Club Meet at the museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Car shows:

The Owls Head Transportation Museum’s annual Truck, Tractor and Commercial Vehicle Meet is set for next weekend, July 23 and July 24. Vintage commercial vehicles and trucks from Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Mack, and more will be represented at the truck meet.

The America on Wheels museum is accepting children to be a part of the Youth Judging Program at the Buick Nations on July 30 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The program is limited to 15 children on a first-come bases. The museum asks for RSV’s by July 20. The children will be able to interact with car owners and see more than 700 vintage Buicks first hand. Children will “choose” their top-three favorite Buicks and present awards.

The British Motor Museum in England anticipates 600 light commercial vehicles such as pickups, ice-cream vans, campers, taxis, hearses and police cars to show at the museum’s Classic Van & Pickup Show, set for August 7. The museum holds the “Buses Festival” on August 21, set to feature up to 100 restored, vintage and modern buses and coaches.

The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, plans Cars and Coffees for August 27 and October 15.

The National Corvette Museum celebrates its 22nd anniversary in conjunction with “R8C Museum Delivery” over Labor Day weekend, September 3-5.  The anniversary and R8C include car shows, seminars, road tours, and the Corvette Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Bob Bondurant, Ralph Kramer, and the late Donna Mae Mims will be inducted.

The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento, hosts “Cruise Fest on Fulton Avenue” on September 10. Cruising runs from 4 to 6 p.m. with the festivities continuing through 8:30 p.m. The event is free and features live music, breweries, vendors, and food trucks.

And it’s not just cars:

The 2016 Automotive Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala  is set for July 21 in Detroit, Michigan. Inductees are Bertha Benz, Roy Lunn, Alan Mulally and Ralph Nader, in addition to Matt Simoncini as Industry Leader of the Year.

The California Automobile Museum offers an inaugural member family movie night on July 21. Mater’s Tall Tales is set to be shown in the museums Education Center and Vic’s Ice Cream, popcorn, and lemonade is provided during the movie.

The World of Speed Museum in Wilsonville, Oregon, offers a “simulator race series” with the simulator set in “damage mode,” meaning cars will behave and sustain injury as in real driving. Participants get a practice run and qualifying run July 28, August 25, and September 29 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Drivers with top qualifying race times advance to the finals, which take place on October 27.

The Seal Cove Auto Museum holds a murder mystery dinner on August 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. The night features a full dinner with cocktails and rides in classic cars,  and prizes will be given out to guests who solve the mystery. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the museum.

August 27 marks the third annual Owls Head Transportation Museums Brainstormers Ball. Attendees are encouraged to dress in 1920s-inspired evening wear and enjoy a night with the museum’s cars, planes, food, music, a Charlie Chaplin impersonator and a curated live auction.

The AACA Museum opens a new exhibit October 5 during its “Night at the Museum” event, between 6 and 10 p.m., at the museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Foods and cocktails are available with a Route 66 flair along with a silent auction, entertainment and automotive artist gallery. Wayne Carini, host of “Chasing Classic Cars,” presents “A Collector Car Conversation” with car collector Ralph Marano and moderated by Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island concours.

October 21-22, the Simeone Museum hosts Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan and two-time Le Mans-winning driver Tommy Milner for a two-day celebration dedicated to Corvette Racing. Highlights include dinner, a meet and greet, Demo Day, memorabilia auction and autograph session.

Educational opportunities:

“E.L. Cord – The man, the myth, the legend” is the topic of discussion July 20 at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, in Auburn, Indiana. Presented by the museum’s curator, Jon Bill, the discussion celebrates E.L. Cord’s 121st birthday along with birthday cake and punch.

On August 6, the Simeone museum hosts a discussion as a tribute to Penske Racing with Karl Kainhofer, author Gordon Kirby and other members from the team’s history. On August 13, the museum hosts professional race driver Andy Pilgrim, who will present a talk focusing on his racing experiences with Porsches, highlighting his championship winning season in 1997 with Allan McNish driving the stunning Porsche 911 GT1

The AACA Museum in Pennsylvania offers a “Build-A-T” workshop for children eight to 12 years old to build a wood Model T Pickup Truck under the supervision of an educator. The workshop takes place August 6 from 10 a.m. to noon and registration can be found on the museum’s website.

The museum also offers a Model T Driving Experience with real Fords, open to licensed drivers, that aims to give a hands-on experience of driving a Model T. Classes are July 23, August 13, September 17, and October 22.

The California Automobile Museum offers a three-hour “Youth Basic Engine Class,” for students in fourth grade and up. Students will have the experience of taking apart a Briggs and Stratton one-cylinder engine.

The British Motor Museum is celebrating the British car starting July 23 and running through September 4. Various workshops will be held Tuesday and Thursday each week with activities including building British cars with Legos, creating your own card Land Rover, Mini or E-type Jaguar, and creating a car out of balloons.

Bobby Rahal, winner of the 1986 Indy 500 and the first Indy driver to complete the 500 miles in less than three hours, is slated to appear at the Blackhawk Museum on November 12 as part of the museum’s Speaker Series.

Summer Camps for Kids:

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum hosts a number of Children’s Activity Days in July. The museums “camp” runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and immerses campers, ages 10-12, in hands-on activities, presentations and interaction with the museum’s exhibits. The camps are on Wednesdays, July 20 and July 27.  The price is $50 per student per day.  This not only includes lunch but also something each day that campers will take home to share with family and friends.

Registration is open for the LeMay: America’s Car Museum summer camp.  Children will be able to use the racing simulators and slot-car track in the ACM Speed Zone in preparation for a team race on the final day of camp while learning what makes race cars fast, safe and fuel-efficient through daily challenges. Local race car drivers will also be on hand to showcase their vehicles and equipment used to give tips and advice. The next session is for ages 8-11 and runs August 8-12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.