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Welcome to theMarch edition of our Blackhawk Automotive Museum newsletter. Each month we look to share news and information about exhibits and events at the Museum, as well as the events and activities in which we are involved.
The Museum's Speaker Series continues this weekend, Saturday March 15th, with the legendary "ad man" for Pontiac, and the godfather of the Pontiac GTO - Jim Wangers. This lecture will provide the audience with Jim's insight as to how the 1960's 'muscle car' era came about from the man who was 'there', both behind the scenes and on the streets.
Our Speaker Series continues in April with noted car designer Peter Brock. Peter will talk about his time at GM Styling with Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell, and his design that would ultimately become the '63 Corvette Sting Ray. The April event will be on Sunday, April 27 to coincide with the NCCA's Annual 'Legends on Display' Corvette event to be held at the Blackhawk Museum with over 100 Corvettes on display.
It's only March and it seems as though there has already been a myriad of wonderful car events of all types around the country. A premier destination for our fellow car enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area is the Sonoma Raceway. Located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in beautiful Sonoma Wine Country, their season includes a number of major race events, the first being the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival on May 17-18, a perfect opportunity to take your classic car for a drive.
This year the World Forum of Motor Museums returns to the USA for the biennual meeting of global motor museums, and a joint conference with the National Association of Automobile Museums, in Los Angeles on March 24-28. Founded in 1989, the Forum was previously held at the Blackhawk Automotve Museum in 1997.
Coming up at the end of March is the first of the four Good Guys events held annually in nearby Pleasanton. With car owners and aficianados coming in from around the country, these events always bring in a colorful selection of automotive creations to the area. The March Good Guys event - is the one that started it all back in 1983. We welcome all visitors to the Museum to see our custom coachwork classic cars of the 1920's and 1930's era.
In April, our popular Music at the Museum concert series continues with Jonathan Butler, the two-time GRAMMY nominated, chart topping and platinum selling jazz and R&B artist who will perform at the Museum on Sunday, April 13.
Please consider becoming a member of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum to enjoy the benefits of, and to participate in, our expanding number of events and programs. Becoming a member is a great way to get involved with the social and car enthusiast community we are developing. Our family memberships offer the enjoyment of our Children's Discovery Room and participation in our High School Gallery Hosting Program.
Wishing everyone a Happy St Patrick's Day on Monday.
With regards,
Timothy McGrane
Executive Director
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| Feature Museum Exhibit ~ 1962 Maserati 5000GT Allemano Coupé
Designated Tipo 103, the 5000GT was Maserati's first V8-engined Gran Turismo, its engine being descended from that of the Maserati 450S sports-racer (the car in which Five-Time World Driving Champion Juan Manuel Fangio had won the 12 Hours of Sebring). The company deployed the new V8 engine for road use in the 5000GT, whose designer was none other than Giulio Alfieri, creator of the immortal Tipo 60/61 'Birdcage' sports-racer and the man responsible for developing the 250F into a World Championship winner.
The first 5000GT was commissioned in 1958 by the Shah of Persia, a noted Maserati enthusiast, while other well-known and influential owners included; Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli, who ran FIAT during the jet-set age and was one of the most stylish men of the 20th century; fellow car-maker Fernando Innocenti , American multimillionaire sportsman Briggs Cunningham, Hollywood star Stewart Granger, Mexican President Lopez Mateos, and the Aga Khan. Bodied by Touring and premiered at the 1959 Turin Motor Show, that first 5000GT coupé became known as the 'Shah of Persia' model. After the first two cars were completed by Touring of Milan, Maserati refined the design for production. The first examples' coachwork came from Touring , but of the 5000 GT's thirty-four examples, seven of Italy's finest coachbuilders including Bertone, Ghia, Frua, Michelotti and Pinin Farina exercised their talent, creativity and vision on Maserati's premier gran turismo.
In their catalog, Maserati only listed Allemano as their standard bodystyle with elegant styling by Giovanni Michelotti, so Allemano was the most prolific of the coachbuilders. The price new for the 5000 GT came in around $14,000, as much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and, nearly twice as much as the Maserati 3500GT, making the car one of the most expensive of the period.
 
Carrozzeria Allemano, established in 1928, was an automobile coachbuilder in Turin, Italy, owned by Serafino Allemano. Allemano made various cars based on their own designs, and in some cases, externally made designs, such as those by Giovanni Michelotti. Some of the earlier cars were Ferrari 166 S (1948), Alfa Romeo 2500 (1950) and Lancia Aurelia (1952). The Cisitalia 202 Berlinetta (1951) was designed by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Allemano also bodied a Jaguar XK140, and also an Aston Martin DB2/4 (1953), which is currently on display in the Blackhawk Automotive Museum. For Maserati, Allemano had previously made 21 Maserati A6G 2000/54 and prototype designs for Maserati 3500 (1957).
Serafino Allemano bodied 20 of the 34 Maserati 5000 GTs with a subtlety that lends unusual refinement to the character of the great gran turismo. Allemano's 5000 GTs refine the character of the first 5000 GTs created by Carrozzeria Touring with a long hood and tail capped by a light and airy greenhouse with huge wraparound rear window for exceptional visibility, complemented with front operating vent windows on the doors and rectangular European headlights flanking the subtly split ovoid radiator grille designed by Giovanni Michelotti. Allemano was able to accommodate within the small greenhouse 2+2 seating that takes advantage of his 5000 GT's overall length without losing its character as essentially a 2-seat gran turismo. It incorporates all the important improvements of Maserati's continuous development of the 5000 GT including four wheel disc brakes and 5-speed ZF gearbox. The coachwork is an example of Allemano's best.
As is the case with other similarly hand-built, limited edition exotica of the period, no two 5000GTs are exactly alike. Subtle differences in design, color and features distinguish each Maserati 5000 GT, even the 20 Allemano-bodied cars exhibit detail differences. The 5000 GT, powered by Maserati's 4,941cc all-alloy four overhead camshaft state-of-the-art V8 capable of 170 mph, appealed to an elite who appreciated power, handling, performance, luxury and individuality.
The car on display in the Museum was the twentieth 5000GT built by Maserati, and the twelfth bodied by Allemano. The coachwork is an example of Allemano's best of these fabled cars, this one being owned by Norbert Reuter of Switzerland in the 1990's. After he commissioned it to be restored (to original interior and exterior colors) it was shown at the prestigious 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it took First Place honors in it class.
(photo courtesy of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance)
The Blackhawk Automotive Museum is proud to showcase two classic Maserati automobiles during the marque's centenary year.
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Events ~ Speaker Series - Jim Wangers ~ Saturday March 15
Our Speaker Series event in March will feature the 'Godfather of the GTO', Jim Wangers. To legions of fans, Jim Wangers redefined the art and science of automotive marketing and back in the 1960s, Wangers was a driving force in Pontiac's dramatic turnaround from near-extinction to 3rd place in sales and oversaw the planning, marketing, and high-profile placement of some of the era's greatest performance cars including; the Bonneville, Grand Prix, Catalina 2+2, Firebird/Trans Am and of course, the GTO during his long and storied career.
The legendary "ad man" for Pontiac and the marketer behind the Pontiac GTO and several other Pontiac specialty cars, Jim Wangers helped establish the "muscle car" to its rightful niche in the history of American car marketing.
He is the author of the best-selling book, "Glory Days", that has proven to be one of the most authoritative books on Pontiac performance history ever printed. A book signing will follow the lecture.
Lecture included with Museum admission / Members Free
Buy your admission tickets in advance
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Music at the Museum Concert Series - Jonathan Butler - Sunday April 13, 2014
On Sunday, April 13, our Music at the Museum Concert Series, with presenting sponsors JAGUAR | LAND ROVER Cole European, will feature Jonathan Butler.
Jonathan Butler, South African born singer songwriter, is a two-time GRAMMY nominee and winner of the famed South African Sarie Award. He is a chart topping, platinum selling artist whose expansive musical gift has earned accolades in the R&B and contemporary jazz worlds. Cabaret style Preferred seating and theatre style general seating tickets available. (Museum members discount applies) CONCERT SERIES SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE ____________________________________________
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Events ~ Speaker Series - Peter Brock ~ Sunday April 27
Our April Speaker Series lecture on Sunday, April 27, will feature the legendary car designer Peter Brock. Peter started his career as an automotive design student at Art Center College of Design under Strother MacMinn followed by a design job at GM Styling under design giants Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell. He was Carroll Shelby's first employee and was Carroll's go-to-guy for the Cobra. Brock headed up his own BRE race team that won the Trans Am Championship in '71 and '72 with Datsun.
With GM's support, Brock's new award winning book tells the inside story of how his sketch was chosen by Bill Mitchell as the direction GM would take for the split window Corvette. Peter will share many captivating stories about his car design experiences. A book signing will follow lecture session.
Lecture included with Museum admission / Members Free
SPEAKER SERIES SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
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Events ~ Blackhawk 'First Sunday' Cars & Coffee April 6
In April it will be one year since we first launched the Blackhawk Automotive Museum's 'First Sunday' Cars & Coffee. Over the past year we have had wonderful support from hundreds of car buffs and numerous car clubs from around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We would like to thank all of those who have supported this Museum event. We would also like to thank our partners for their support: Jaguar Land Rover Cole European, dbAutosportif, Meguair's, Good Guys, and our catering partner Scotts Catering.
Our first anniversary gathering will be April 6, starting at 8 a.m. and going to 10 a.m, so make plans to start your Sunday at Blackhawk for Cars & Coffee with the Museum. Each Cars & Coffee Sunday the Museum opens one hour earlier, at 9am. We will also have a docent led tour starting a 10am.
Also on Sunday, April 6, the ever-popular Danville Community Band made up of 80 plus musicians will be performing "A Gallery of Sound" starting at 2pm . Join the band as they trek through and examine "A Gallery of Sound" with selections from film scores to marches.
We would like to thank the 342 car owners who came out to support our March Cars & Coffee.
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Drives ~ Sonoma Raceway
Located just 30 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the 1,600-acre Sonoma Raceway facility serves as the gateway to the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend highlights the raceway's diverse 2014 motor-racing schedule. In addition to NASCAR, the busy summer schedule will also include the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, IndyCar® Series, FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.
In addition to its slate of major events, Sonoma Raceway is a year-round motorsports complex with events scheduled 340 days and 50 weekends a year, as well as the Simraceway Performance Driving Center and Sonoma Raceway Karting Center.
The complete Sonoma Raceway major event schedule for 2014:
- Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival - May 17-18
- Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - June 20-22
- NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel - July 18-20
- NHRA Sonoma Nationals - July 25-27
- IndyCar Series GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma - Aug. 22-24
- FIA World Touring Car Championship - Sept. 13-14
- Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge - Oct. 4-5
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About The Blackhawk Automotive Museum
The Blackhawk Automotive Museum, located in Blackhawk Plaza, Danville, California, opened in August 1988 with the mission of ensuring that significant automotive treasures blending art, technology, culture and history would be exhibited for public enjoyment and educational enrichment for all ages.
Founded by a partnership between benefactor Ken Behring and Board president Don Williams, the Museum houses a rotating collection of 90 one-of-a-kind custom coachwork classic cars, limited production and concept automobiles across two galleries in a spectacular 100,000 square-foot multi-level architectural masterpiece. The Blackhawk Automotive Museum, a private operating 501(c)3 Foundation, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and is open year round, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and most major holidays.
To Imagine.... To Dream.... To Inspire....
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Buy your Museum general admission tickets on line and get a discount
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