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Seven notables to be inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame in 2006
Seven individuals representing automotive racing, design, manufacturing, management and bold innovation have been selected for induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame. The Inductee class of 2006 includes Nuccio Bertone, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Jr., Wayne Huizenga, Shojiro Ishibashi, Arjay Miller, and Bruno Sacco. The Inductees were announced April 12 at the International Motor Press Association meeting at the New York International Auto Show. Formal induction ceremonies will take place in Dearborn, Mich., on Oct. 3, 2006.
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Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone (1912 - 1997) – Bertone presided over one of the most fabled and influential design, engineering, and prototype houses that the automotive industry has known. An exacting administrator of the family business, Bertone was also known for his ability to nurture top design talent, including the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro.
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Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001) – Known as “The Intimidator,” Earnhardt was a legendary figure on the NASCAR circuit even before his untimely and tragic death. Among drivers with the most wins, Earhardt was a team owner and one of the most respected motorsports personalities on and off the track.
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Bill France Jr. (1933- ) – When Bill France Jr. succeeded his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., the event was seen as one of the most significant in the organization’s history. The younger France took NASCAR to new heights in popularity and success, and is widely recognized for making NASCAR one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world today.
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H. Wayne Huizenga (1937- ) – A multi-faceted entrepreneur, Huizenga is best known in the auto industry as the founder in 1996 of AutoNation, Inc., the world’s largest automotive retailer. AutoNation has over 270 dealership locations nationwide representing 345 new car franchises. Founded only a decade ago, AutoNation is ranked 112 on the Fortune 500 list.
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Shojiro Ishibashi (1889-1976) – Ishibashi dreamed of supplying his nation's new automobile industry with tires developed and manufactured with Japanese capital and Japanese expertise. Ishibashi created Japan's first locally developed tires in 1930 and a year later established Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. to manufacture and market the new product. Today Bridgestone/Firestone is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers.
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Arjay Miller (1916- ) – Miller was one of a group of 10 "whiz kids" who left the Air Force after World War II and played a major role in improving the fortunes of the Ford Motor Company. President of Ford from 1963 to 1968 and vice chairman until 1969, Miller later served with distinction as Dean of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
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Bruno Sacco (1933- ) – Sacco’s path into the field of design began with a brief glimpse of an electric blue 150 Studebaker. That beginning led to a design career spanning 39 years at Mercedes-Benz, where for decades Sacco designs were synonymous with classic beauty, luxury and performance.
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The process of selecting Inductees to the Automotive Hall of Fame includes submissions from an advisory panel of automotive journalists and automotive historians. Names suggested are then reviewed by the Automotive Hall of Fame Board of Directors, with a refined list eventually going to the Awards committee before being finally approved by the Board of Directors.
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"Beautiful and informative - enjoyed it!"
- Corinne and Ron M.
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
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Letter from the President
As you read this, I have just returned from publicly announcing this year’s class of Inductees at the International Motor Press Association meeting in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show (see related article). Of everything that we do at the Automotive Hall of Fame, announcing a new class of automotive “heroes” is particularly gratifying, because it is at the core of the Automotive Hall of Fame mission--to recognize outstanding achievement in the international motor vehicle industry.
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Jeffrey Leestma
AHF President
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But to be honest, I am reminded of this almost daily, as thousands of schoolchildren visit the Automotive Hall of Fame and Museum over the course of a year. These young people come to the Automotive Hall of Fame and learn about automotive history, auto safety, a little science and to come face-to-face with well over 200 individuals who have significantly impacted the auto industry or the automobile itself. We feel so strongly about encouraging the next generation of industry participants that we do not charge admission to these school groups.
But, for whatever these kids learn and take away with them, I want them to understand that the people we honor at the Automotive Hall of Fame were not born great – they achieved greatness through inspiration, vision and hard work. And so it is with the 2006 Class of Inductees--Bertone, Earnhardt, France, Huizenga, Ishibashi, Miller, and Sacco--seven individuals who were inspired to make a difference, channeled that inspiration into a vision of the future, and worked tirelessly to see that vision become a reality.
Young people the world over face seemingly insurmountable odds to succeed. It is by holding up our honorees as examples so that future generations are inspired by these heroes that the Automotive Hall of Fame undoubtedly provides its greatest service to the industry.
Jeffrey K. Leestma
President
Automotive Hall of Fame
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"Very well done!"
- LuAnn G.
Anchorage, Alaska
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Automotive Hall of Fame honors group with Distinguished Service Citations
A select group of auto industry leaders received the Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation for 2006 during presentations at the Automotive Hall of Fame’s Annual Awards Luncheon in Orlando, Fla.
Distinguished Service Citation honorees included: Julie Nguyen Brown, chief executive officer, Plastech Engineered Products, Inc.; Thomas G. Elliott, executive vice president (retired), American Honda Motor Co.; Alfred L. Gaspar, president emeritus, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA); Lloyd Reuss, executive dean of the Center for Advanced Technologies, Focus: HOPE; Ralph C. Seekins, owner, Seekins Ford Lincoln Mercury; John K. Teahen Jr., senior editor, Automotive News; and Susan J. Unger, senior vice president and chief information officer, DaimlerChrysler AG.
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DaimlerChrysler's Dieter Zetsche, left, receives his "Industry Leader of the Year" award from Automotive Hall of Fame President Jeff Leestma.
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The Distinguished Service Citation recognizes men and women who have made significant contributions to the motor vehicle industry through either sustained superior performance or a specific important achievement, and who are still active in the industry or recently retired. The presentations were made as part of the National Auto Dealers Association’s annual convention.
Honored earlier this year as “Industry Leader of the Year” was Dieter Zetsche, who could not attend the awards luncheon. Zetsche, who helped transform the Chrysler Group before being tapped to take the reins of the entire DaimlerChrysler organization Jan. 1, received the award from Jeffrey K. Leestma, Automotive Hall of Fame president, at the DaimlerChrysler Firehouse bash, an annual gathering during the North American International Auto Show.
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"Awesome!! Loved it!!"
- Anita S.
Los Angeles, California
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Your help. Your Automotive Hall of Fame.
Our industry. Our heritage.
No where is that more true than at the Automotive Hall of Fame, where the mission of recognizing the very best achievements in the motor vehicle and related industries stands strong. But it’s a mission that needs individual and corporate support if it is to survive and prosper.
Since its founding in 1939, the Automotive Hall of Fame has recognized, on an uninterrupted basis, the many outstanding individuals and their respective companies who have built and sustained one of the world’s most influential industries.
We hope to continue recognizing that heritage for many years to come.
But we need your help. Indeed, 60 cents out of every operating dollar for the Automotive Hall of Fame comes from the support of corporations and individuals.
Are you with us?
Your support will help us host approximately 20,000 visitors a year and well over 100 school classrooms, all of whom learn about automotive heritage through the great pioneers and leaders. In turn, we recognize our financial supporters in a variety of ways: prominently in the Automotive Hall of Fame lobby, at our Annual Induction Ceremony in October, and at the Annual Awards Luncheon in February, held in conjunction with the NADA convention.
Additionally we recognize our supporters on the Automotive Hall of Fame Web site
(www.automotivehalloffame.org) and, of course, in The Driving Spirit, this newsletter.
Further, organizations providing at least $5,000 or more in support are featured with links sending our viewers and visitors back to their own Web sites.
Now, more than ever, we need your help. It is our sincere hope that you will support the mission of the Automotive Hall of Fame through a tax deductible donation. For information on how you can help the Automotive Hall of Fame with a pledge of support, please contact Automotive Hall of Fame President Jeff Leestma at (313) 240-4000 or jkl@thedrivingspirit.org.
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"Really enjoyed the displays."
- Tom B.
Jackson, Michigan
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Harry Miller: American Racer
Harry Arminius Miller almost single-handedly established the course and credibility of American automobile racing.
In 1894, at the age of 19, the restless and strong willed Harry Miller left home and moved to Los Angeles to become a foundry foreman. With the aid of a used lathe and drill press and a few essential tools, he began production on an original design for an improved carburetor. From his designed and patented carburetors he founded the Master Carburetor Company, for the manufacture and sale of a new and very different carburetor.
Early in 1912, Miller had developed – with carburetors in mind – an original blend of aluminum, nickel and copper, which he called Alloyanum. Miller also found that it made marvelous pistons and by late 1913, he began pioneering their sale. These pistons led to the formation of the Harry A. Miller Manufacturing Co. and the first original Miller engine was commissioned in 1915. It was an inline 6, single overhead-cam aircraft engine.
The business evolved to build racecars designed and manufactured in the Miller factory.
One of the engines was placed in what remains to this day as one of the most dramatic racing cars of all time: the Miller Golden Submarine. Designed and built in 1917, the entirely enclosed and aerodynamic racecar caused a sensation wherever it went.
Submarine Car
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The creations of Miller, along with protégés Leo Goosen and Fred Offenhauser were raced on board tracks, brick tracks and dirt tracks and were utterly dominant in their day, holding a wide variety of speed records.
Miller, alone, and with Offenhauser won the Indianapolis 500 some 15 times in the 20-year period from 1921 to 1941.
In those days, if a driver wanted to win, he’d better be behind the wheel of a Miller. Between 1926 and 1929, three quarters of all cars on the Indy starting grid were Millers.
Just weeks before the stock market crash of 1929, Harry Miller retired from his business. A year later, he set up a new engineering company, hiring back old staff. But the world had changed from the Twenties. With the Depression came little money for racing. In three years, Miller would be bankrupt.
Miller moved to New York, where he met up with Preston Tucker. Tucker felt that a stock-block engine in a modern, independently sprung chassis might have a chance to win.
In 1935, Tucker pitched the idea to Ford and a deal was struck with Miller to construct 10 cars for the upcoming Indy 500, at a cost of $75,000. But due to the late arrival of machines and other equipment, it did not leave much time to build and test the cars. The inevitable happened, and of the 10 cars built, only four qualified and those four retired early from the race. That may have destroyed the relationship between Ford and Miller, but what remained were the most beautiful American racing cars of the decade.
In the late 1930s, Miller was asked to construct cars suitable for Grand Prix and Indy competition for the Gulf Oil Company. Miller accepted this as his last great effort of his career. The extremely complex car was rushed to completion and failed to qualify for the 1938 Indy.
His last failures, however, could not overshadow his engineering genius and his influence on racing technology and the careers of countless engineers. Miller continued to design concepts and various aircraft projects until his death in 1943.
Harry Miller was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2003.
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"What a wonderful facility. So glad
we finally came in. Very impressive!"
- Michelle and Doug L.
Dearborn, Michigan
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Great meetings start with a great venue
Even without being steeped in automotive history, the Automotive Hall of Fame would have some of the best meeting facilities in the area.
The fact that it includes the heritage of an industry that has shaped the world’s economy makes it that much more attractive.
Neil De Koker, president of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, began using the Automotive Hall of Fame as a meeting venue about four years ago, about a year after becoming a board member at the Automotive Hall of Fame.
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Neil De Koker
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“We hold a number of high-level executive meetings of our organization at the Automotive Hall of Fame,” notes De Koker. “The fact that all our members are totally involved in the industry makes holding meetings there that much more enjoyable. We get a sense of the history of the industry every time we’re there.”
Rooms available for meeting use include:
Library and Conference Room--features a built-in screen for presentations and room for up to 35 guests. Rental is $400 for up to four hours; $600 for more than four hours.
Atrium--featuring a soaring glass pyramid ceiling, this spacious area can seat 120 guests and, for a standing reception, a maximum of 400 guests. Rental is $1,200 for up to four hours; $1,800 for more than four hours.
Theater--able to accommodate all manner of audio-visual presentations, lectures and press conferences, the room seats 68 but can accommodate up to 80 with additional chairs. Rental is $400 for up to four hours; $600 for more than four hours.
Styling Gallery--a colorful area available for a sit-down event of up to 60 guests or a standing reception for up to 85. Rental is $400 for up to four hours; $600 for more than four hours.
Courtyard--the outdoor area can accommodate up to 100 guests. Rental is $300 for up to four hours; $500 for more than four hours.
Contact the Event Planning department of the Automotive Hall of Fame for further information on how to make these facilities work for your next meeting.
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"Excellent, helpful staff."
- Jonathon P.
Birmingham, England
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Bringing automotive heritage alive – in poster form
It doesn’t replace a visit to the Automotive Hall of Fame. But it will serve as a reminder of all that’s waiting for you – next time.
Such is the lure of a great poster that’s available at the Ransom E. Olds Gift Shop at the Automotive Hall of Fame.
At just $8.00 US, the poster makes a great accent to an office of anyone who is now or has been involved in the auto industry. It’s also a superb gift for grandchildren or any budding student of automotive history.
Check it out at the gift shop or online at the Automotive Hall of Fame Web site: www.automotivehalloffame.org
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The Automotive Hall of Fame welcomes visitors from around the globe. Just since March 1, 2006, here are some of the more notable places
our visitors call home:
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- Grover, N.C.
- Green Bay, Wis.
- Barrington, Ill.
- Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- Tanzania
- Bemidji, Minn.
- Germany
- Springfield, Mass.
- India
- England
- Tucson, Ariz.
- Australia
- Orford, N.H.
- Metairie, La.
- Fair Lawn, N.J.
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- Japan
- Deland, Fla.
- Cuba
- Mesquite, Tex.
- Brights Cove, Ont., Canada
- Zurich, Ont., Canada
- Pittsfield, Penn.
- Fishers, Ind.
- Singapore
- Hurricane, Utah
- Dublin, Ohio
- Mt. Airy, Md.
- Laramie, Wyo.
- Laguna Niguel, Calif.
- Poland
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© 2006, Automotive Hall of Fame | All rights reserved
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