WFFMM-NAAM Conference 2022

The purpose of the session is to examine the lifecycle of vehicles as historical objects. The speakers will examine how the museums define their audience and how they promote awareness in their objects. Patrick Slebonick will explain how the Studebaker Museum retains interest in an object that was once ubiquitous in a vastly different world, and is now almost never seen. Robert Signum III will discuss how America’s Packard Museum keeps an interest in a brand that was once common on modern roads, but has been gone for two or more generations. Finally, Hirouki Masumo will discuss how what Toyota is doing to support the company’s larger mission in marketing and ensuring their vehicles do not start the slide into becoming historical objects. What are the common themes and differences between the approach taken by each museum, and what lessons can be shared by all?