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Martin Bandyke Under Covers for February 2020: Martin interviews Jeff Guinn, author of The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's Ten-Year Road Trip
Jeff's book tells the fascinating story of two American giants—Henry Ford and Thomas Edison—whose annual summer sojourns introduced the road trip to our culture and made the automobile an essential part of modern life, even as their own relationship altered dramatically.
In 1914 Henry Ford and naturalist John Burroughs visited Thomas Edison in Florida and toured the Everglades. The following year Ford, Edison, and tire maker Harvey Firestone joined together on a summer camping trip and decided to call themselves the Vagabonds. They would continue their summer road trips until 1925, when they announced that their fame made it too difficult for them to carry on.
Although the Vagabonds traveled with an entourage of chefs, butlers, and others, this elite fraternity also had a serious purpose: to examine the conditions of America’s roadways and improve the practicality of automobile travel. Cars were unreliable and the roads were even worse. But newspaper coverage of these trips was extensive, and as cars and roads improved, the summer trip by automobile soon became a desired element of American life.
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Russell Doré on "America's Classiest Cars"
Learn about the most luxurious classic cars built by American companies. Find out how the Eckhart Brothers, E.L. Cord, the Duesenberg Brothers, and Harry Stutz built their companies. Follow mergers between some of these companies and how the companies finally ended their production.
This one-hour presentation displays the beauty of these automobiles and confirms that the saying “It’s a Duesy” refers to the very best in a field. Cars of these brands were owned by celebrities and you will see their favorites. Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, and John Wayne were original owners of the early classics. Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, and Jay Leno became later collectors.
The presenter is Russell Doré, who has been making historical presentations for over 20 years. He is a Board Member of the Motor Cities National Heritage Area, a member of the Henry Ford Heritage Association, the Northville Historical Society, and holds Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Washington in social sciences.
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Studebaker, Packard, Nash, and Hudson
Automotive writer Russell Doré discusses the origins of four major automobile companies of the 20th Century.
Learn how the Studebaker Brothers, the Packard Brothers, Charlie Nash, and Joseph L. Hudson grew their companies and what lead to their ultimate disappearance from the industry. Find out the interesting interactions between these leaders and other major automotive entrepreneurs.
Russell Doré has presented programs on Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, and Billy Durant, founder of General Motors. He is a member of the MotorCities National Heritage Area, the Henry Ford Heritage Association, and the Northville Historical Society.
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Sustainable Ann Arbor - Electric Vehicles
A panel of electric vehicle (EV) experts discusses electric vehicles in Ann Arbor and how EVs are a growing part of our transportation future—including autonomous vehicles.
Charles Griffith - Director of the Climate and Energy Program, Ecology Center
Bruce Westlake - President, Michigan Electric Auto Association
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City of Ann Arbor 2017 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum: Driverless Vehicles Coming Down the Pike
Join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor as the City and the Ann Arbor District Library host their annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series will include four events (held monthly through April) with each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.
The second event in this series is Driverless Vehicles Coming Down the Pike. Hear from state and national experts about the coming "driverless" vehicle revolution and what it will mean for the Ann Arbor region.
The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, staff from both the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County will join the public to discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community. Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session.
Speakers for the Driverless Vehicles Coming Down the Pike discussion include:
• Dr. Huei Peng, Director of U-M Mobility Transformation Center
• Kirk Steudle, Director of MI Department of Transportation
• John Maddox or Laurel Champion, American Center for Mobility
• Frank Sgambati, Director of Marketing and Product Innovation, North America at Robert Bosch LLC
This event is cosponsored by the City of Ann Arbor and details of the series will be posted online on The City of Ann Arbor's Sustainability site. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit the City’s Sustainability website.
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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist and Bestselling Author David Maraniss Discusses His New Book "Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story "
In Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story, David Maraniss, who was born in Detroit, captures this great American city at its pinnacle. Detroit in 1963 reflected the spirit of the entire country at the time, and its complicated past and future decline could be traced to this era.
It’s 1963, and Detroit is on top of the world. The city’s leaders are among the most visionary in America. It was the American auto makers’ best year; the revolution in music and politics was underway. Reuther’s UAW had helped lift the middle class. The air was full of promise. The auto industry was selling more cars than ever before and inventing the Mustang. Motown was capturing the world with its amazing artists. The progressive labor movement was rooted in Detroit with the UAW. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech there two months before he made it famous in the Washington march.
Once in a Great City shows that the shadows of the city's collapse were evident even then. Detroit at its peak was threatened by its own design. It was being abandoned by the new world. Yet so much of what Detroit gave America lasts.
David Maraniss is an associate editor at The Washington Post. Maraniss is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author of Barack Obama: The Story and others, including When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi which was hailed by Sports Illustrated as “maybe the best sports biography ever published.”
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Auto History Night! Joseph Jendza (Top Hat John) & Victoria Mobley (Of The Society of Automotive Historians) Discuss The World Of Classic Cars
Celebrate the history of automobiles (and the 2012 Rolling Sculpture Car Show) when Joseph Jendza (Top Hat John) and Victoria Mobley (of the Society of Automotive Historians) discuss classic cars and popular culture. This event is also part of the day-long celebration of the DDA's opening of Library Lane (the parking structure next to the Library).Joseph Jendza or "Top Hat John," well-known local specialty automotive historian and enthusiast car collector will discuss the colorful history and many types of classic cars. If you want to know more about the classic car stored in your garage - this is an excellent program to attend!Joe has hosted hundreds of classic car shows and hosted and produced 200+ automotive cable television shows locally and nationally. He shares his love of the automobile through his specialty vehicle appraisal services, car show presentations, news columns and stories in local, national, and international publications. Victoria Mobley is the producer of local car shows, car cruise nights and is the Secretary/Treasurer of The Society of Automotive Historians/Leland Chapter. She will share her award winning presentation: Fashion and the Automobile, which highlights the many changes wrought on popular culture by the evolution of the car. She and her assistant will do the presentation in full costume!Do not miss this special event at the Library and the celebration of the 2012 Rolling Sculpture Car Show and opening of Library Lane.
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Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event: Automotive Expert David E. Davis Discusses The 2010 Auto Show And The Future Of Michigan's Automobile Industry
What does the future hold for this industry in Michigan? What trends can be spotted from this year's Auto Show? David E. Davis, Jr. is an automobile journalist and magazine publisher whose career in the automotive industry spanned from race car driver, factory worker and car salesman to ad salesman with Road & Track and copywriter for Corvette advertisements before becoming a writer for Car and Driver magazine in 1962. He wrote for that publication until 1967 and later became its editor and publisher before leaving to found Automobile magazine. This event will be held in conjunction with Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2010, which, this year focuses on the subject of Michigan.
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Lowrider Car Talk & Slideshow
Erik Howard, of the Southwest Detroit-based Expressions Youth Group will illuminate Lowrider car culture, its origins and display his extensive photos of the cars he's seen during his travels. Car experts and novices alike are welcome.
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The Fastest Woman In The World!! Hillary Will Discusses Her Career As An Internationally-Known Professional Top Fuel Dragster Driver
Professional drag racer Hillary Will, the fastest woman in the world -- and "one of the top 10 female racers in the world" -- according to Sports Illustrated, will discuss her career in racing and what makes this sport so exciting. Hillary became the fastest woman in the world when she posted a 335-MPH lap down the quarter-mile race track at the first event in the 2008 NHRA season. This event is co-sponsored by the Main Street Area Association, in conjunction with their annual Rolling Sculpture Car Show, which this year will occur on Friday, July 10, 2 - 10pm. You can meet Hillary in the Ann Arbor District Library's 'Local Motion' booth (which celebrates the Library's summer reading program) at the Rolling Sculpture Car Show.