LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) has announced that it is inviting vehicle owners, automotive enthusiasts, collectors and community members throughout Tacoma, the South Sound and the greater Pacific Northwest to help build its next major exhibition, “Local Flavor,” opening Saturday, Jan. 23, 2027.
Celebrating the people, vehicles and stories that have shaped automotive culture in the museum’s own backyard, “Local Flavor” will bring together a diverse collection of vehicles and stories that reflect the region’s unique automotive identity, museum officials said in a press release. From family heirlooms passed down through generations and beloved neighborhood vehicles to local racing history, custom creations and motorcycles, the museum is looking beyond traditional definitions of automotive significance.
“The goal isn’t necessarily to find the most expensive or rarest vehicles. It’s to discover the stories that make them meaningful,” said Bruce Patton, curator of LeMay – America’s Car Museum. “We want this exhibition to reflect the diversity and character of our local automotive community, celebrating the vehicles, people and stories that make car culture in the Pacific Northwest so special.”
How to Submit a Vehicle for ‘Local Flavor’
Through a new community-wide recruitment campaign, the museum is encouraging residents, businesses, car clubs, collectors and enthusiasts to share their vehicles and stories for consideration by its curatorial team. The community recruitment campaign will run through Dec. 14, 2026, as its curatorial team works to identify vehicles and stories for the upcoming exhibition, museum officials said.
The museum said that it is also interested in connecting with local artists, photographers, historians, car clubs and businesses with automotive artwork, photographs, memorabilia, historical materials or other items that could help bring the exhibition to life. Each submission will be reviewed by the museum’s curatorial team. Owners whose vehicles are selected for further consideration will be contacted directly to discuss potential participation, loan arrangements and next steps, the release noted.
The exhibition will succeed “Birth of the American Supercar” in the museum’s top-floor gallery and is scheduled to remain on display through May 2027.