From Corvettes to dune buggies, the most iconic fiberglass customs and production cars of the past half-century will be on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum beginning February 27, 2010, through October 3, 2010.

Together, they offer an interesting contrast to both the mainstream cars stamped out of metal that populate our motoring landscape and those made of carbon fiber, the newest wonder material to be embraced by today’s innovators.

Invented in the 1930s, fiberglass was first used as heat insulation before crafty designers and engineers came to recognize its potential as a structural material for everything from car bodies to boats, airplanes, shower and tub enclosures, furniture, lighting, and other products of modern design.

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Eight impressive super sports cars will soon be showcasing a history of dreams come true to visitors at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. From Tuesday 27 April 2010 until Sunday 29 August 2010 a special exhibition will document the unique sports car tradition at Mercedes-Benz. One of these, unsurprisingly, will be the latest addition to the family – the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

“Cockpit, engine, wings – is it really still a car?” It’s a common enough question among those catching their first glimpse of the new gullwing supercar that goes on sale this spring. What accounts for fascination on four wheels? Which models are the antecedents of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG? The various development stages are illustrated by historic vehicles such as the legendary 300 SL and the unique C 112 and the passion that super sports cars generate is brought to life using multimedia elements. In addition, visitors are able to undertake a virtual spin in the new SLS AMG.

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Between 20, March and 14, November 2010 a new temporary exhibition, titled “Le Rallye” will be opened at the Musée Automobile De Valencay.

In addition to various rally cars from the 1950s, the exibition also displays scale models, photos and more.

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The temporary exhibition, MZ – the Motorcycle Legend which is being hosted by the Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum in Neckarsulm is open until 30 March, 2010.

The exhibition features over 25 East German MZ motorcycles, made between 1949 and 1989. It also pays tribute to the history of motorcycle manufacturing in Zschopau, which in the 1920s was home to the biggest motorcycle manufacturing company in the world.

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The name “Zuffenhausen”, a part of Stuttgart, is world-famous among car enthusiasts. Because this is where Porsche sports cars have been built ever since 1950. With the first Porsche 356 being completed in Stuttgart in spring 1950, the original production target was a modest 100 cars a year. But the success of the young company soon encouraged Ferry Porsche, the son of company founder Ferdinand and the initiator of the first Porsche sports car, to become more ambitious in implementing his vision of “Driving the Most Beautiful Way”: Just ten years after the first model was built, production of sports cars bearing that legendary Porsche logo amounted to more than 25,000 units.

This Special Exhibition documents the early years and the development of production in Zuffenhausen, the Company’s original plant. We also proudly present one of first Porsche 356 built in Zuffenhausen which, after comprehensive restoration, is now to be admired in the Museum for the first time.

The exhibition runs between 20, March and 9, May

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Until 28 March it is possible to visit an exhibition on the 24 Hours of LeMans race. Race cars from all epochs show the past, the present and the future of the world’s oldest sports car race in endurance racing.

Several cars from different epochs are on display: For example Bentley 4 1/2 Liter, Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Aerodynamica, Deutsch-Bonnet D.B2, Porsche 917 or Audi prototype.

To experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans a driving simulator invites you to drive the fastest lap. Also the change of tyres can be tested.

Along the lines of our slogan “Personen. Kraft. Wagen.”, derived from the German word for passenger car, PROTOTYP also wants to show the history of the drivers, the designers and the mechanics. In the first place the man-machine interaction makes racing history come alive.

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The August Horch Museum in Zwickau, Germany shows nine different vehicles, made by the former Auto Union group.

This exhibition is about the 2nd phase of the Auto Union history. Set up in the early 1930s and comprising DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer Auto Union thrived before the 2nd World War.

But Auto Union found itself wiped out by the war: in 1945 all of its plants lied in a Soviet-controlled zone, so the company had to restart almost from scratch. A new factory was set up in Düsselddorf in 1949. In the 1950s two brand names: DKW and Auto Union were used. In 1958 Daimler-Benz came to the rescue and then in 1964 the Auto Union Group was swallowed by Volkswagen.

There are nine cars and motorcycles shown from the 1949-1964 era. The exhibition lasts until June.

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If you are in Czech Republic, the Tatra Museum in Koprivnice is well worth a visit. Though it lies almost 400 km from Prague and part of the route is not on highway, but this collection which includes everything from a 1896 horseless carriage through a motorized sleigh and aerodynamic Tatra cars from the 1930s to trucks from the 1970s. And then there’s the depot, which is not open to the public but it is also full of interesting gems…

This year, the Tatra Museum hosts a special exhibitions, shows the history of the famous Sodomka coachbuilding company and its connection to Tatra.

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Hans Ledwinka, from Austria, has been considered as one of Europe’s most distinguished automobile designers. Over the years his name became a synonym for pioneer, researcher and visionary.

He developed a lot of various Tatra cars and was one of the true fathers of the Volkswagen Beetle.

This travelling show by the Tatra Museum in Koprivnice shows the life and work of this genius.

The exhibition closes in May, 2010.

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See the incredible role the automobile played in shaping how we play in a new exhibit at the National Automobile Museum, The Harrah Collection, in downtown Reno starting April 20, 2010.

The new Masterpiece Exhibit, “Motoring Tourist: National Parks Adventure” will allow Museum visitors to see the role the 1910s automobile-loving public played in the creation of a National Park-to-Park Highway.

New National Playgrounds

During the early part of the 20th century, fabulous National Parks with romantic vistas, extraordinary waterfalls, gigantic trees, and amazing fishing and hiking were available to Americans but poor road conditions made them extremely difficult to reach.

In the late 1910s, automobiles were able to bring man to nature like never before and the National Park Service embraced the motoring tourist. But Park officials soon became very concerned that the interest in America’s national playgrounds would diminish if roads to them were not improved.

National Park-to-Park Highway

In stepped Stephen Mather, the director of the National Park Service who was a major advocate for a highway linking the National Parks and Anton Westgard, a pathfinder for the American Automobile Association, who actually mapped the route.

When Mather learned road building engineers were planning to disturb the natural beauty during road construction, he rushed to put artists and landscape architects in charge of the process to preserve the dramatic panoramic views and picturesque beauty each road curve offered.

The National Park-to-Park Highway was a gigantic 5,000 mile scenic loop through 11western states, connecting 12 national parks. Promotional signs read, “You Sing America, Why Not SEE it?”

The National Park-to-Park Highway began in Denver, Colorado and went to Rocky Mountain National Park, then on through Wyoming to Yellowstone, north through Montana to Glacier National Park, then west to Mount Rainier, south to Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, General Grant and Sequoia national parks, then east to Zion, the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Mesa Verde and back to Denver.

Playtime in America

Adventurers piled their kids, the family dog and camping gear (including tarps that connected right to their cars) for their journey to see America. Avid outdoor enthusiasts eagerly enjoyed their national playgrounds and mingled with others from different states and different walks of life.

National Parks offered the opportunity for grape growing farmers from California to car camp right next to bankers from New York. National Parks allowed Americans to mingle like never before.

Since motoring tourists in the 1910s were clambering into their cars to enjoy their National Parks, suppliers of auto camping took the creative challenge to meet the needs of the traveling public. All of this is illustrated in the new Masterpiece Exhibit at the National Automobile Museum.

The exhibition closes on October.

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