Here is some awesome news. The Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) have announced that three iconic cars representing unique American car culture will be displayed “center stage” on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from April 12 to May 4, 2017.
Exhibited in the HVA glass case on the walkway between the National Air & Space Museum and National Gallery of Art you can check out these amazing Hot Rods for free! All of the cars are owned privately and they are being commemorated as part of the National HVA Register in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) to be permanently archived in the U.S. Library of Congress.
So what cars are you going to get to see and will you be inspired enough to google FindMeCarFinance and start your dream Hot Rod project?
Gypsy Rose
A beautifully painted 1964 Chevrolet Impala designed to go “low and slow” when it cruised East LA in the 1970s. It was known as one of the most extravagantly painted lowriders of the period and was featured in the opening of the 1970s sitcom “Chico and the Man.” Gypsy Rose was featured on the cover of Lowrider Magazine in 1980.
The McGee Roadster
A hot rod based on a 1932 Ford V8 Roadster. It was built by Bob McGee, a soldier who returned from the war and attended and played football for the University of Southern California. McGee raced the car on the California dry lake beds and used the car to promote hot rod safety. The iconic car was featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948.
The Hirohata Merc
A 1951 Mercury Coupe that was purchased by Bob Hirohata and extensively customized by master craftsmen Sam and George Barris at their shop in Lynwood, California in 1952. It was striped by Von Dutch and featured modified design elements from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, and Lincoln. Under Hirohata’s ownership it was driven cross country from LA to Indianapolis and Detroit and back. The car collected over 150 trophies during the first several years it was shown.
The objective of the HVA is to share America’s auto heritage with all American people. The three cars being recognized on the National Mall celebrates the unique American story of the talented builders that modified production cars for speed and style. These three examples represent true national treasures of the early days of the hot rod, custom and lowrider movements. It is their first time in Washington, DC.
The HVA expect hot rods, custom cars and lowriders to descend on the nation’s capital during the exhibition. This three-week 2017 exhibition expands upon the two-week 2016 HVA Cars at the Capital exhibition that featured President Taft’s 1909 White Steam Car and President Reagan’s 1962 Willys ‘Jeep’ CJ-6.
This is an awesome bit of news and one we are really excited about. We are hoping to see the guys from Gas Monkey garage and various other celebrity auto legends, heading down to check out this brilliant display, so try and make the time if you can. What a treat!
