The Hagerty Drivers Foundation is hosting “Cars at the Capital,” a month-long celebration of car culture in Washington, D.C., the organization announced.
Held on the National Mall throughout September, this exhibit is free to the public and will feature the 29th and 30th vehicles to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. Two additional historically significant vehicles previously added to the National Historic Vehicle Register will also be featured to educate the general public about the cultural significance of the automobile and its role in shaping modern society, the organization said.
The 2021 vehicles to be commemorated and recorded as part of the National Historic Vehicle Register program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) to be permanently archived in the Library of Congress are:
No. 29
- 1981 De Lorean DMC-12 (Back to the Future “Time Machine” Hero Car) — Featured in the hit 1985 time-travel movie, Back to the Future
No. 30
- 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S – Chassis No. 1121112 (from The Cannonball Run) — Featured in the 1981 movie, The Cannonball Run
The Cars at the Capital exhibition will include 2020 and 2021 Register vehicles. The annual event will take place September 3 – 30, with one car per week on exhibit in the Hagerty Drivers Foundation lighted glass display case. Located on the hardscape between the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art, the vehicle display schedule will be as follows:
September 3 –9
- 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 (Back to the Future “Time Machine” Hero Car)
- Back to the Future was released in 1985 and became an instant box office and pop culture hit. It was the number one film for 11 of the first 12 weeks of its release. This famed hero car from the movie is the 29th vehicle to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. Courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California).
September 10 – 16
- 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE (the “Qualls Challenger”)
- Due to its Detroit story of visceral street racing, this car was dubbed “the Black Ghost” and is one of just 23 four-speed Hemi R/T SE Challengers built in the model’s debut year. It is likely the only Challenger with this unique configuration of performance and trim options and was the 28th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register in 2020. Courtesy of the Qualls Family.
September 17 – 23
- 1921 Duesenberg Straight Eight (the “Castle Duesenberg”)
- Courtesy of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum (Auburn, Indiana), the 27th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register was the first production Duesenberg passenger car ordered by Hawaiian industrialist Samuel N. Castle. Mechanical advances included four-wheel hydraulic brakes and the industry’s first overhead cam straight-eight-cylinder passenger car engine. Fitted with full-length aluminum belly pans and an exhaust cut-off, its top speed of over 100 mph were signs of brothers Frederick and August Duesenberg’s racing past.
September 24 – 30
- 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S – Chassis No. 1121112 (from The Cannonball Run)
- Courtesy of owner Jeff Ippoliti, this radically styled mid-engine exotic was a landmark car in an era when economy and practicality had eclipsed performance and passion. The “Cannonball Run” Countach is restored to perfectly evoke its significant role from the classic ’80s film and is equally shocking to see today as it was back then. This supercar is the 30th vehicle to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
“This is our way to invite the general public to celebrate automotive culture and learn about the significant role the automobile has played in shaping modern society,” says Jonathan Klinger, executive director of the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. “These four vehicles are a mixture of pop culture significance and engineering achievement that will be preserved in the National Historic Vehicle Register for future generations.”
