Part of Detroit’s history kept under wraps

Tom Greenwood, Detroit News staff writer

Tucked away on the city's southwest side is a 96,000-square-foot time machine. At Historic Fort Wayne, in a World War II-era brick and wood-beamed warehouse mottled with peeling red paint, more than 200,000 items of historic importance to Detroit and southeastern Michigan are safeguarded.

Among them are the "bubble cars," dozens of historically significant automotive jewels to the Detroit Historical Society that are preserved and protected by large, clear-plastic balloon enclosures illuminated largely by dusty skylights

In this warehouse, time rides on four wheels.

A walk down the center aisle is like hopscotching back and forth in history: On one side rests an 1870 Phaeton Carriage car facing a dusky-red 1963 Chrysler Turbine that would run on diesel fuel, unleaded gasoline, kerosene, vegetable oil and even tequila. A few steps away, a grandfatherly 1911 Ford Model T keeps company with a bulky 1975 AMC Pacer. A 1963 pre-production Ford Mustang shares its corral with John Dodge's 1919 coupe.

"I moved here two years ago and was told that Detroit is dead," said curator Adam Lovell. "I've lived all over the country, and I can tell you that Detroit is the most culturally rich city I've ever seen."

The collection includes about 60 vehicles that are rotated in and out of the museum, said Lovell, a low-key history lover who describes himself simply as "the guy in charge of all this stuff."

"It has to have some sort of connection to Detroit history: from a famous or influential person; first-off the assembly line, a concept or one-of-a-kind vehicle. It has to have a significance of some sort."

Despite reports the society keeps the cars under wraps because of a lack of funding, Lovell said that isn't the case. He said no museum shows all the paintings in its possession, nor does the Detroit Historical Society show all its vehicles.

"It's not so much that we don't have the funds to show all the vehicles, it's mostly that we don't have the room at the museum," said Lovell. "Plus, if we put them all on display at the same time, the display would be static.

"We want people to come in and see something new every time they visit."

The plastic bubbles -- which take two to three minutes to inflate -- are zippered at the bottom and are kept inflated by small fans that filter the air and keep out vermin. The smaller bubbles run about $300, and the larger ones cost up to $1,000 each.

The society started collecting items in the early 1920s and obtained its first car in 1954 — a 1905 Cadillac Osceola donated by Henry M. Leland, who founded Cadillac and Lincoln.

"It was the first car to have an enclosed body," Lovell said. "Up until that time, automobiles were convertibles or had open tops. It has a one-cylinder motor, so it's basically a big go-kart. We still have the car and photos of him with the car."

The collection essentially covers more than 100 years of vehicles, many of which are quite rare. Among the museum's other bubbled beauties: A 1963 Cougar II concept car by Ford: One of only two built, it supposedly could hit 170 mph. When interior air pressure exceeded 15 pounds per square inch, a vent in the rear passenger compartment opened automatically to prevent the rear window from blowing out.

A 1960 Corvair: Boxy, sporty and built by Chevrolet, it offered an 80 horsepower, air-cooled, rear-mounted engine at a base price of $2,000. A 1956 Packard Patrician: an aristocratic sedan, this was the last year for Packard. A 1947 Kaiser: While probably dozens of them are still being driven in Havana, Kaisers are a rare find in the United States. The 1947 model had a run of only 5,412 vehicles.

A 1949 Buick Super 8: One rung below the Cadillac, this solid sedan (with its huge chrome grill) told everyone you were "on your way up in the world.""We also have a number of Jeeps, all of which are veterans of World War II," said David Marchioni, who volunteers at the warehouse. "They still have blackout tape on the headlights."

The storage area also houses large, gray plastic bubbles that take 20-30 minutes to inflate and are big enough to walk inside. The bubbles shelter large items, such as a rare 1959 Chrysler Crown Imperial, resplendent with a stainless steel top and chrome, chrome and more chrome.

One of only seven built, the Imperial is slightly more than 20 feet long, weighs 5,960 pounds and is powered by a 413 cubic-inch engine.

"At the time, this was the most expensive American car you could buy," said Lovell of the Imperial, which shared a bubble with a wooden launch from the "Delphine," a yacht once owned by the Dodge family. "It went for about $7,500 when most houses sold for about $4,500."

Others beauties include the "wide and weird" 1975 AMC Pacer, a 1963 Corvair, a 1911 Model T Ford dressed out with snappy brass trim and a special 1973 Mark IV Lincoln Continental.

"This was custom-made for Lee Iacocca when he was president of Ford Motor," said Lovell, gesturing toward the Continental. "It's huge: You could probably put a Smart car in the trunk and park eight more on the hood."

Museum donations must meet a litany of requirements. Potential donors first have to contact curators at the museum and tell them what they have. Then the donation goes before an advisory committee that asks: Does it have to be restored? What is its potential for display? Does it need to be saved? Is it unique?

"It can't just be an old or collectible car," Lovell said.

Although the warehoused cars are kept under lock and key, they are occasionally available for special events, such as fundraisers or special group tours — none are currently scheduled. But the museum is displaying a 1930 DaVinci "Pup" built by James Scripps Booth, an Oldsmobile dating from the early 1900s and several Cadillacs.

Lovell, who has a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree specializing in museum studies and collection preservation, is in awe of the items under his care.

"The city may be cash-strapped, but historically, it's sitting on incredible wealth," he said.