Automotive Hall of Fame Steers Toward Detroit

The Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF) plans to move to downtown Detroit from its current location in Dearborn, Mich., where it has struggled to attract visitors.

The organization is scouting potential sites but didn’t say when it expected to make a decision or provide a timeline for the move. It aims to land a spot along Detroit’s famous Woodward Ave., which would provide access from the new M-1 Rail line the city is constructing.

Moving to Detroit would reflect the city’s automotive heritage and “the rebirth of the industry” there as a hub for autonomous vehicles and “new age” manufacturing, AHF President William Chapin says. He envisions the new AHF transforming from a car museum into an “inspirational place for auto enthusiasts" and a landmark cultural destination for Detroit.

Chapin announced the plans Thursday night at AHF's annual induction ceremony. This year’s inductees were safety advocate Ralph Nader, former Ford CEO Alan Mulally, industry pioneer Bertha Benz and engineer Roy Lunn, who spearheaded the development of the original Ford GT40.

AHF, originally known as the Automobile Old Timers group and later the Automotive Organization Team, was founded in New York City in 1939. It moved to Washington, D.C., in 1960 and to Northwood University in Midland, Mich. in 1971.

The organization’s 25,000-sq-ft building in Dearborn was opened in 1997. The facility is adjacent to Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. AHF’s proximity to Ford’s headquarters campus has caused some confusion that the organization is affiliated with the carmaker, which Chapin hopes would be eliminated by the move to Detroit.