KCRag Forum

An effort has begun to create and maintain a permanent auto museum in Kansas City in or around Union Station. The Kansas City Auto Museum board of directors is working with Union Station to create a temporary exhibit there, and the group is fundraising and seeking a permanent exhibition space somewhere in the area.

The museum will house around 50 vehicles on a rotating basis on loan from private owners, and chronicle local automobile and motorcycle manufacturing, racing, retailing, and advertising.

Any suggestions about good locations for the museum?

http://kansascityautomuseum.com/about-us/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6IRQEP ... e=youtu.be

If it's in Union Station, put it under the passenger waiting area (if not replacing Science City completely) or right on the west side of SC.
I'm of the mind that this should be created in conjunction with a train collection to create a land transportation museum.

IraGlacialis wrote:I'm of the mind that this should be created in conjunction with a train collection to create a land transportation museum.

Now THAT is a good idea. Every city has a car museum, but a train/trolley/streetcar/car/truck/stagecoach/whatever museum is different and a good story to tell. Why not in Westport?...the historical starting point of travel west by land.

slimwhitman wrote:

IraGlacialis wrote:I'm of the mind that this should be created in conjunction with a train collection to create a land transportation museum.

Now THAT is a good idea. Every city has a car museum, but a train/trolley/streetcar/car/truck/stagecoach/whatever museum is different and a good story to tell. Why not in Westport?...the historical starting point of travel west by land.

Museum of speed. Does it have to be ground/land specific? I could see a few planes, tranes, and automobiles placed to the West of U.S., making an interesting exhibit. Maybe it could be called the Museum of Planes, Tranes, and Automobiles, and include a polka band playing in the back of a semi.

Perhaps I'm ignorant to KC history, but I think that only focusing on locally produced things would be a mistake. Nobody thinks of KC when they think of cars, so I think we would be limiting our patronage by only focusing on cars that were assembled nearby. It would be great to include as many local items as possible, but it would be cool if there was more of a global perspective to such an exhibit. That to me is what make the Nelson and WWI museums terrific. They serve to open us up to a world outside of the region.

bobbyhawks wrote:

slimwhitman wrote: Now THAT is a good idea. Every city has a car museum, but a train/trolley/streetcar/car/truck/stagecoach/whatever museum is different and a good story to tell. Why not in Westport?...the historical starting point of travel west by land.

Museum of speed. Does it have to be ground/land specific? I could see a few planes, tranes, and automobiles placed to the West of U.S., making an interesting exhibit.

Possibly a consolidation with the Airline History Museum?

Nobody thinks of KC when they think of cars, so I think we would be limiting our patronage by only focusing on cars that were assembled nearby. It would be great to include as many local items as possible

Believe the old American Royal Arena made airplanes during WW I. Beach landing craft were also made nearby for WW II. Include example of those items.

"We believe there are more than 10,000 classic automobiles squirreled away in garages in Kansas City!"
Wow, that gives me an idea!

Among my friends there are 3 to 4.

bobbyhawks wrote:

slimwhitman wrote:

IraGlacialis wrote:I'm of the mind that this should be created in conjunction with a train collection to create a land transportation museum.

Perhaps I'm ignorant to KC history, but I think that only focusing on locally produced things would be a mistake. Nobody thinks of KC when they think of cars, so I think we would be limiting our patronage by only focusing on cars that were assembled nearby. It would be great to include as many local items as possible, but it would be cool if there was more of a global perspective to such an exhibit. That to me is what make the Nelson and WWI museums terrific. They serve to open us up to a world outside of the region.

I don't think they will only have actual cars made in Kansas City among the 50 in the museum. However, they will probably have exhibits talking about the models assembled here.

At one time, there were four vehicle factories operating at the same time: KW-Dart large truck producing company at 1301 North Manchester Trafficway, Ford Claycomo, and GM/Fisher plants at Leeds and Fairfax.

The Winchester Ford Plant also operated in the Blue River Valley before they built Claycomo.

There is also a lot of automotive history here that people don't know. I believe at one time, the Leeds plant was the longest continuously-operating General Motor plant in the country. (1928-1998). There was also a famous labor strike here that changed worker rights and conditions.

The Ford Winchester plant on Winchester Avenue was built in 1911 by Henry Ford as the first auto assembly plant outside of Detroit, going into production in 1912--assembling a total of seven cars per day--the birth of one of Kansas City's largest industries, with three assembly plants, now making the city the second largest producer of automobiles [in 1967]. That plant operated from 1912-1957.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... OX=1&REC=2

This building at 16th and Baltimore used to be a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... OX=1&REC=6

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.094797,- ... 71,,0,-4.3

The former Armacost garage at 14th and Baltimore (vacant lot west of Mainstreet Theater) used to be a Studebaker dealership.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=10

This building at 19th and Oak used to be a Nash dealership.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=15

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=318-320+ ... 8,,0,-8.49

Many of our historic buildings were once car dealerships or distributing centers. The area from Grand to Oak from 18th to 20th streets used be called "Motor Row." The area where Crown Center is today--along Grand and McGee from 22nd to 27th streets, used to be lined with car dealerships.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=17

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=19

There were also other automotive related manufacturing plants located in the area: Kansas City Tire & Rubber Corporation, Prest-O-Lite Company, and the Rahe/Sweeney Auto and Tractor driving school.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=14

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... X=1&REC=18

FangKC wrote: There was also a famous labor strike here that changed worker rights and conditions.

That strike, in conjunction with a concurrent one in Atlanta, began over local issues, but eventually spead and morphed into nation-wide strike that forced GM to recognize the UAW nationally. It is among the most critical moments in the labor movement, and -- as the GM/UAW relationship was a kind of proxy for (especially late) 20th century labor/management relations -- those workers did as much to create the greatest period of wealth equality for the greatest number of people as any other single group in American history.

chingon wrote:

FangKC wrote: There was also a famous labor strike here that changed worker rights and conditions.

That strike, in conjunction with a concurrent one in Atlanta, began over local issues, but eventually spead and morphed into nation-wide strike that forced GM to recognize the UAW nationally. It is among the most critical moments in the labor movement, and -- as the GM/UAW relationship was a kind of proxy for (especially late) 20th century labor/management relations -- those workers did as much to create the greatest period of wealth equality for the greatest number of people as any other single group in American history.

Too bad. Our economy would have really taken off in the early 40's had those unions not messed everything up. &&&

At one time, there were four vehicle factories operating at the same time: KW-Dart large truck producing company at 1301 North Manchester Trafficway, Ford Claycomo, and GM/Fisher plants at Leeds and Fairfax.

Wasn't there a truck facility in the East Bottoms where the municipal complex is now?

It appears there were two production facilities for KW-Dart, which was a division of Kenworth Trucks and manufactured over-the-road trucks, mining hauling trucks, and other off-road equipment.

One appears to be at 1301 Manchester Trafficway, and another off of Chouteau Trafficway near Stillwell Avenue. KW-Dart operated in Kansas City from 1925-1988.

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/df_ckc.htm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-KW-Dart-Co ... 0334826457

Here is an ad from a roofing company that appears to show the KW-Dart assembly plant on Chouteau and Stillwell. Note the river in the background.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roofing-image-f ... 1c262e5042

They were building tank trucks at the Kenworth facility when my dad worked for them. I think they shut that down around '83-'84. I'll have to ask him.

I just learned that the old GM Fairfax Assembly Plant also produced jet fighters, as well as cars, in the 1950s.

The original Fairfax assembly plant was located next to Fairfax Airport which was the former location of the North American Bomber Production Plant where the B-25 Mitchell was manufactured during World War II. After the war GM purchased the building and converted it to automobile assembly. In 1952 alongside car production the plant produced F-84F jet-powered fighters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mo ... mbly_Plant

They do have one of the 6 Deloreans used in Back to the Future, on display at Maker Faire today. Pretty cool.

Huh! I had no idea they used all 6 DeLoreans in the movie.

Kidding aside, was it still tricked out with the flux capacitor and etc?

yep, looked like it just drove off the movie screen.

Kansas City Auto Museum will open in a temporary leased space in Olathe in March, 2014.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013 ... 4-opening/

Kansas City Automotive Museum tells area’s history with cars

The Kansas City Automotive Museum, which occupies 12,000 square feet, is in what Wagoner calls the toddler stage. Wagoner is credited with coming up with the automotive museum in 2011.

“I take credit for the idea, but it has really been a group effort to make it happen,” Wagoner said.

A number of people have volunteered their time over the last three years to turn an idea into a functioning museum with designs on becoming much bigger.

The goal is by 2018 to either move into a new 60,000-square-foot facility in downtown Kansas City near other museums or build a museum by the Kansas Speedway.

http://www.kansascity.com/cars/article12831884.html