Have fun with the history of early automobiles.
Here are some links to things to do, pictures to see and information to read.

• West of Laramie: A Brief History of the Auto Industry (Jenny and Richard Wright)

  • See photos and read about horseless carriages and cars-from Fords to Phaetons to funeral cars and more! 

• Garrett's Garage (Transportation Wonderland, U. S. Dept. of Transportation)

  • Find links to lots of car information-even a history of the Weiner Mobile!

• Model T Road Trip (Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village)

  • What would it have been like live in 1919 and take your family vacation in a Model T? Join a fictional Michigan family on their vacation.

• Plates by the Year

  • What did the license plate on great-great-grandpa's Model T look like? See Michigan license plates from the 1905 "dashboard disc" to today's specialty plates.

• Michigan Auto Tour

• See historic cars from 9 Michigan museums, including the story of horseless carriages on Mackinac Island, an 1896 Duryea, the Locomobile and a 1909 Model T.

• Minitour of the Michigan Historical Museum's Factory Gallery

  • See the Model T body drop exhibit and learn about Henry Ford's moving assembly line.

• Touring Turn-of-the-Century America, Detroit Publishing Company 1880-1920 (American Memory, Library of Congress)

  • Want to see lots of photos that show old cars or early car factories? Go to this site and click on "Search by Keyword." Typeautomobileas your keyword and click the "SEARCH" button. You should get a list of at least 100 photos.

We check these sites as often as we can, but we cannot be responsible for their availability or content. If you see problems with response or content at any of these sites, please notify that site's webmaster.

Contact the Michigan Historical Center.

Updated 06/24/2010