The Museum of the Horseless Carriage’s mission is to celebrate the history of the Brass Era automobile through education, preservation, and engagement. To this end, in 2020 under the leadership of the late Bob Ladd and with the help of other members of the Horseless Carriage Club of America, a plan was launched to build a museum dedicated expressly to preserving the history, vehicles, and artifacts pertaining to the Brass Era automobile (pre-1916). It was envisioned that such a museum would not only safeguard some of the hobby’s best examples of the Brass Era but also would shine a spotlight on the lives of the inventors and entrepreneurs who launched automotive history — an accessible educational resource for all who wish to learn more about this fascinating period.

The period before 1916 saw an amazing transformation in independent transportation and technological advancements. Sadly, the automotive Brass Era is hardly emphasized in other museums or illustrated adequately in school history courses. Yet the world’s history and culture were profoundly affected by the early development of the horseless carriage and the pioneers who made it happen.

There are many of us within the Brass Era hobby who love these cars, are dedicated to preserving them, and believe it is important to rectify this gap in the public’s understanding. In order to do so, The Museum of the Horseless Carriage (MHC), a 501(c)3 charitable organization, was created with the largest automotive museum in the U.S., Gilmore Car Museum, extending immediate partner status to the new organization. Through the agreement, the MHC also was offered a plot of land on the Gilmore campus upon which to build and the temporary use of its Steam Barn in which to locate exhibits as a Capital Campaign progressed.

Locating the Museum of the Horseless Carriage at Gilmore Car Museum creates a perfect partnership. The MHC represents a new resource for Gilmore’s more than 130,000 annual visitors to explore. At the same time, the MHC benefits from Gilmore’s expertise, its central location in the United States, and its growing audience. Most important, both organizations share a passion for automotive history and a unique opportunity to be in the company of those whose missions are similar: At Gilmore, the MHC shares the same campus as the Classic Car Club of America Museum, the Pierce-Arrow Museum, the H.H. Franklin Collection, the Model A Museum, the Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum, The Lincoln Motor Car Museum, and future museums to be built on Gilmore’s 90 manicured acres of beautiful barns and buildings. There also are almost three miles of private roads for driving antique cars and hosting shows and events. With its temporary location in the Gilmore Steam Barn laying a foundation for continued success, the future of this partnership is bright indeed!