Welcome to the June 2016 edition of our Blackhawk Museums newsletter. Each month we look to share news and information about the Museum exhibitions and events, as well as activities with which we are involved and events of interest.

The Summer events season is well and truly underway, whether Car Shows, Concours, Exhibitions, Races and Rallies, locally, nationally, or internationally there are many opportunities to enjoy driving, exhibiting or just viewing every kind of automobile imaginable.

Coming up this weekend, on Sunday June 19, we will be hosting our 10th Annual Blackhawk Museums Father's Day Car Show. Open to classic, collectible, muscle cars or hot rods, or dads can just bring their favorite 'ride'. Car entrants receive free admission to the Museum and a Goodie Bag (First 150 cars) courtesy of Meguiar's. You can pre-register your car online by Friday, or at the event. Go to blackhawkmuseum.org.

The Show will begin at 8 a.m. and will conclude around 2 p.m. with the Museum open until 5 p.m.

Informal awards in four classes will be presented - and the Museum Choice Award will take home a Meguiar's Ultimate Detail Kit (valued at $350.00). Enter your car today! Juke Joint Band will be entertaining outside at the show area and Scott's Catering will be offering their Father's Day champagne brunch inside the Museum's Automotive Dining Room during the Father's Day Car Show. Reservations for brunch are available by calling 925.648.1434 or blackhawkadmin@scottswc.com. (Museum members receive a 10% discount.)

This past weekend Britain celebrated the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. In a celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's 90th birthday, the 2016 Concours of Elegance on September 2-4 will again be held at Windsor Castle, having held its debut event there in 2012 to mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This year's event will be the biggest, most diverse and most glamorous iteration of the international event yet. Further honouring Her Majesty, this year's Concours will also feature a selection of cars from 1926, the year of Her Majesty's birth, and will feature cars from the grid of the inaugural British GP, held at Brooklands in 1926. The Concours will also feature a line-up of revolutionary cars of the past 90 years - one from each decade.

An exhibition event that runs through October 9, is; Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945-1975, at the Frist Center for the Arts in Nashville, TN. Featuring 19 automobiles and 3 motorcycles, the exhibition curated by automotive authority Ken Gross, celebrates the visual dynamism and spirit of innovation characterizing Italian coachbuilt cars, concept cars and motorcycles produced during the post-World War II economic revival. The Trio of Alfa Romeo BAT 5, 7, & 9 will be part of the Belissima exhibition through October 9th, then returning to the Blackhawk Museums gallery. Here's a link to the Frist move-in video. Bellissima! Rolls into the Galleries.

If you go to Nashville and visit the Frist Museum, make a point of also visiting the nearby Lane Motor Museum. The Frist Center and Lane Motor Museum are offering reciprocal admission discounts.

Closer to home, and happening this weekend, on Saturday June 18, the north San Francisco Bay Area city of San Rafael will launch the 2016 running of The Great Race, one the world's premier vintage car rallies. The Great Race will start Saturday, at 10 a.m. on Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael near the historic Rafael Theater. The more than 100 race cars will begin lining up on Fourth at 8 a.m. and will be flagged off starting at 10 a.m. at one-minute intervals on their way to Moline, Illinois for the 2,400-mile, 9-day rally. The first stop after leaving San Rafael will be Vacaville for lunch and then on to Old Sacramento for the overnight promotion. For full event details; www.greatrace.com

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the classic Blake Edwards comedy movie, The Great Race, staring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, and Natalie Wood. As part of the pre-race festivities for the 2016 Great Race, the movie was shown at the historic Rafael Theater on Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael on Wednesday, June 15 with the 2016 Great Race participants invited as special guests.

Day two of the 2016 Race will end at the wonderful National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV., the former Bill Harrah collection and best known as home to the original 1907 Thomas Flyer which won the 1908 New York to Paris Great Race. You can see all of the city stops along the route by clicking this link: http://www.greatrace.com/2016-route.

August is not that far off which means the 10-day long series of automotive event that are part of the Pebble Beach Concours / Monterey Motorsports Reunion Week. This year will be the 66th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Blackhawk Museums will again be organizing a luxury coach day-trip to the Pebble Beach Concours on Sunday, August 21. Luxury coach transportation from Black Tie Transportation will depart from the Blackhawk Museums at 6 a.m. for Pebble Beach, and return to Blackhawk departing from Pebble Beach after the Concours at approx. 5:30 p.m. - leave the driving and parking to us and enjoy a day at the world's greatest Concours. For details, and to reserve a space. (click here).

This year the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will feature the following marques and special classes: Delahaye, Chapron Coachwork, BMW Centennial, Bizzarrini, Lamborghini Miura, Two-Man Indianapolis Race Cars from 1930-1937, BMW Motorcycles, and the 50th Anniversary of the Ford GT40 Victory at Le Mans.

Ford first went to Le Mans in 1964 with the GT40 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four consecutive times, from 1966 to 1969, including a 1-2-3 finish in 1966 and the two time winning Gulf Team GT40 in 1968 and 1969. On Saturday, June 18, at 3 p.m. local time at the Le Sarthe Circuit the start of the 2016 race will see Ford return to the French classic endurance race with their new Ford GT on the 50th Anniversary of the 1966 victory.

We are working on our Fall Automotive Speaker Series Events and are pleased to announce the following presenters will be coming to the Blackhawk Museums. On September 10, historian and author David Fetherston will talk about 'Bonneville - Then & Now', the history of the land speed records at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats where speed records have been set since 1914.

On October 8, the legendary endurance driver from the 1960's and 1970's, Vic Elford will talk about his extensive racing career. One of the world's great sports car drivers, Vic was European Rally Champion in 1967, and then turned to Formula One, Can Am, and Sportscar racing where he would drive with Porsche for five years, giving them their first 24 Hour race victory.

On November 12, we have 1986 Indy 500 winner and three-time CART Series champion Bobby Rahal talking about his racing career as a driver and also as an Indy car team owner with partner David Letterman. Our December 10 Speaker Series event presenter is still being finalized.

With many of our Speaker Series events we look to secure a significant or historical car from the presenter's career to display in our automotive gallery. For the David Fetherston presentation on Sept 10 about Bonneville, we are very pleased to announce that we will have the Ab Jenkins 1937 Mormon Meteor III on display. This record setting endurance race car built by Ab Jenkins and Augie Duesenberg in Indianapolis in 1937 is one of the most historic race cars in history, and is being graciously loaned to us by Ambassador John Price and the Price Museum of Speed in Salt Lake City. In 1939, Ab Jenkins drove the car 171 mph and broke all of the 12-hour endurance records. In 1940, he set a 24-hour record of 161.180 mph that would not be broken until 1990 and the car still holds thirteen speed endurance records. All these records were set on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

With the support of Blackhawk Museums corporate partner AIG Private Client Group Insurance, the Mormon Meteor III will be on display at Blackhawk Museums from August 18 thru September 11.

1937 Mormon Meteor III - 1,570 cu.in. Curtiss Conqueror 750hp V12

Events and Museum programs such as our Speaker Series would not be possible without the continued support of our members and our corporate sponsors. We are in need of additional financial support to be able to continue and expand these events. If you are interested in helping support, or sponsor our Speaker Series program, please contact Executive Director, Tim McGrane, Tel 925,736.2280 ext. 100, or email; tmcgrane@BlackhawkMuseum.org.

One of the many attractions in the Tri-Valley region surrounding the Blackhawk Museums is the nearby historic downtown of the Town of Danville. For over 130 years Danville has been the Heart of the San Ramon Valley with its small town charm and each year they host a number of community events along picturesque Hartz Avenue. Two of the annual events that fill the streets are the Danville Hot Summer Nights Hot Rod and Classic Car Shows held on July 14, and also on August 11, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. 2016 will be the 22nd year of this community car show and family event that features 300-plus cars staging from 2 p.m. that attracts thousands of people enjoying the cars, stores, and restaurants in downtown.

Last month in our newsletter we recognized the 100th Anniversary of the famed Sicilian road race, the Targa Florio. We'd like to take this opportunity to say congratulations to our good friend Alain deCadenet, and to Italian historian Francesco da Mosto and producer David Biggins, as their documentary drama film A Sicilian Dream, about the race received two nominations and one award at the International Filmmaker Festival 2016 in Nice France last month, and also received the Hermes Creative Award.

We look forward to seeing you at the Blackhawk Museums during the coming months. If you are visiting Danville and the Tri-Valley area and are looking for information about hotels and attractions, you can click here to download the 2016 Tri-Valley Inspiration Guide for visitor information.

With regards,

Timothy McGrane

Executive Director

Many of the Museums' programs would not be possible without the wonderful support of our members, and our Supporting Partners AIG Private Client Group, Visit Tri-Valley, Reliable Carriers, Meguiars and Chevron. Please consider becoming a Museums member today.

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With your Blackhawk Museums membership at the NARM level you'll be able to use your membership to visit the FRIST and any other of the 800 reciprocal museums, arts, cultural, and historical institutions. J oin or upgrade your Blackhawk Museums membership today.

Blackhawk Museums' 'F1rst Sundays' Cars & Coffee -

July 3rd ~ 8:00 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The Blackhawk Museums hosts a monthly Cars & Coffee event year round, rain or shine, for all car enthusiasts. Held on the 'F1rst Sunday' of each month, with coffee service starting at 7:30 a.m. and going to 10 a.m., the Museum welcomes all classic, collector and special interest car owners and enthusiasts.

On Cars & Coffee Sundays the Museum opens an hour earlier, at 9 a.m., and the first 400 participating car owners receive complimentary Museum admission tickets underwritten courtesy of our Cars & Coffee sponsors; AIG Private Client Insurance, Jaguar Land Rover Cole European, Visit Tri-Valley, Meguiar's, and Sonoma Raceway. We'd like to welcome our new Blackhawk Museums Cars & Coffee sponsor - Bonhams auction house and we look forward to welcoming their San Francisco team to our monthly event.

Thank You to the 679 participating special interest car owners who joined us for our June 5, Blackhawk Museums 'Cars & Coffee' event.

SPIRIT OF THE OLD WEST

GALLERY EXHIBITION

Click here for Photos from the opening event

To schedule a tour in either of the Museums galleries, or for more information on accessing the

bus program for school children, please contact Maria Chafin at 925.736.2280 ext 239 or Programs@BlackhawkMuseum.org

Upcoming Events & Activities at The Blackhawk Museums

June 19 ~ Blackhawk Museums' Father's Day Car Show - Free museum admission for Dads

July 3 ~ Blackhawk Museums F1rst Sunday Cars & Coffee

July 8 ~ 7th Annual National Collector Car Appreciation Day

July 11 ~ Friends of the Blackhawk Museums - Gianni's Italian Bistro fundraising evening

Aug 7 ~ Blackhawk Museums F1rst Sunday Cars & Coffee

Aug 17 ~ thru Sept 11 the Ab Jenkins Mormom Meteor III on display

Aug 21 ~ Blackhawk Museums Day Trip to Pebble Beach Concours

Aug 22 ~ Post-Pebble Beach 'Open House' at Blackhawk Museums

Aug 23 ~ Post-Monterey Classic Week 'Ticket Day' at the Blackhawk Museums

Sept 4 ~ Blackhawk Museums F1rst Sunday Cars & Coffee

Sept 10 ~ Speaker Series - David Fetherston 'Bonneville - Then & Now'

Oct 2 ~ Blackhawk Museums F1rst Sunday Cars & Coffee

Oct 2 ~ Friends of the Blackhawk Museums 'Night at the Museum' fundraiser dinner & auction

Oct 8 ~ Speaker Series - Vic Elford - Racing at Targa Florio, Nurburgring & Le Mans

Oct 9 ~ 2nd Annual Pre-War Classics Picnic on the Plaza

Oct 15 ~ All British Motor Show

Nov 6 ~ Blackhawk Museums F1rst Sunday Cars & Coffee

Nov 12 ~ Speaker Series - Bobby Rahal, Three time CART Champion & Indy 500 winning driver.

Dec 10 ~ Speaker Series - To be announced.

Feb 11 ~ Speaker Series - Jay Ward, PIXAR CARS Creative Director

About The Blackhawk Museums

The Blackhawk Museums, located in Blackhawk Plaza, Danville, California, opened in August 1988 with a mission to stimulate interest and understanding of art, culture and history through exhibitions and programming that engage, educate and inspire children, adults and families.

The Blackhawk Museums was established in 1988 with the opening of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum. The 'International Automotive Treasures' gallery showcases a rotating collection of fifty-five one-of-a-kind custom coachwork classic cars from the 1920's & 1930's, styling and design cars from the 1950's, and historic sports & race cars from the 1950's and 1960's.

In February 2015 the 'Spirit of the Old West' Gallery opened and is dedicated to presenting a balanced narrative of the history of the American Westward Expansion from the mid 1700's through the early 1900's. It represents both the Native American Plains Indian tribes and American pioneers and settlers.

The Blackhawk Museums, a private operating 501(c)3 Foundation and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is open year round, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and most major holidays.

To Imagine.... To Dream.... To Inspire....

Buy your Museum general admission tickets on-line and get a discount.