SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (March 29, 2019) – The Saratoga Automobile Museum (“SAM”) will present a new exhibit entitled Wheels of Change: Cars and Culture of the Sixties beginning on Saturday, March 30, 2019.
The exhibit will run through Sunday, Oct. 27 and showcases cars that were part of the decade when dynamic changes in design and safety innovations occurred. After the post-war decade of the Fifties, cars became smaller, sleeker, agile, and more fun. This spurred car makers to reimagine what automobiles were and what they could be.
“The Saratoga Automobile Museum is honored to showcase these iconic cars to the region. We are sure that many of these cars will reignite some fond memories for those who visit the museum to see the exhibit and inspire an automotive passion for others,” said Carly Connors, executive director.
A main drawl for Museum visitors will be a gold 1967 Toyota 2000GT, on loan courtesy of Toyota Motor North America. This car has a unique history; as it was once owned by Twiggy, a fashion icon of the Sixties. Twiggy was on hand when the car was unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1967. Toyota re-acquired the car in the mid-Eighties, and it underwent a complete restoration to bring the car back to its original condition.
Cars on display for the exhibit will include:
1960 Plymouth XNR
1962 Corvair Monza Wagon
1963 Buick Rivera
1963 Corvette Split Window
1963 Rambler American 330
1966 Volkswagen 21-Window Microbus
1966 Jaguar E-Type Series 1
1967 Toyota 2000GT
1967 Austin-Healey 3000MK III BJ-8
1967 Mini Cooper US Federal S (on display starting in June)
1969 AMC AMX
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV (on display in late April)
In addition to the Wheels of Change cars, renowned artist, Chris Osborne will display her award-winning automotive paintings with visitors in the Museum’s Golub Gallery. The gallery exhibit will to open on Saturday, March 30, and feature a wide variety of celebrities of the era depicted with iconic vehicles and will run until Sunday, Oct. 27.
“I have a passion for the romanticism of automobiles,” said Osborne, “My acrylic paintings feature iconic personalities with the cars they owned, drove, were filmed with, or wrote about in prose or song. By staging figurative models and actual cars I can create a design unique to my vision, enriched by exhaustive research and biographical study.”
Osborne has exhibited her works widely in galleries, art associations and art festivals throughout the Northeast and New York City. Her automotive related work has been highlighted at a number of major, national car collector events, including the Kruse Auction in Auburn, Indiana, the Louisville Concours d’Elegance, the Hampton Concours d’Elegance, the Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles, the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, the Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance, and the Classic Car Club of America’s annual gathering in Michigan.
There will be a special exhibit grand-opening party on Friday, April 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Saratoga Automobile Museum. A cash bar of beer, wine, and complementary light fare will be served. Museum members admission is free and non-member admission is $10. Tickets are available at saratogaautomuseum.org.
For more information about the Saratoga Automobile Museum, visit saratogaautomuseum.org.
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About the Saratoga Automobile Museum: The Saratoga Automobile Museum was organized in 1999, and opened to the public in 2002. The Museum’s mission is to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. We celebrate the automobile and educate the general public, students and enthusiasts regarding the role of the automobile in New York State and in the wider world. In addition to technical and design aspects, our educational focus is on the past, present and future social and economic impact of the automobile.
The Museum is located within the 2,500 acre Saratoga Spa State Park, in the heart of historic Saratoga Springs, New York, world famous for its legendary, much honored one-mile thoroughbred track. The museum’s facility is the totally restored and renovated Saratoga Bottling Plant, a beautiful neo-classic structure built in 1934. The Museum is adjacent to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and near the landmark Gideon Putnam Hotel. Within walking distance in the Park are the National Museum of Dance, the Spa Little Theatre and the lavish Hall of Springs banquet facility. saratogaautomuseum.org
