[gtoric]

This post deals with preserving and gathering Pontiac and Oakland items and memorabilia in a private, not-for-profit museum/study center setting. I have an unsettling feeling that we (the enthusiast hobby) need to actively pursue the preservation of the history of the cars we all love, because I see the history slowly vanishing. With the recent passing of John Sawruk, this subject has resurfaced in my thoughts. In my locally situated Flint-Lansing-Detroit triangle, there is a tremendous amount of auto-related information and history hiding in garages, basements, closets, attics, dresser drawers, and workshops. Much of this historically significant information routinely vanishes forever as guardians of this memorabilia pass away, and disinterested or uninformed heirs dispose of the "junk" that an enthusiast has spent a lifetime gathering. Someone, or some group of ones, needs to make a concerted effort to suck as much of this hidden treasure out into the open for the benefit of all. I can't stand by a let the scrapyards and recycling centers slowly destroy our heritage without at least broaching the subject.

During this time of crisis-driven austerity, the automakers are disposing of many historical items that are not generating revenue. Sometimes this means parting with irreplaceable documents and items for the simple sake of housecleaning; a shortsighted and insane course of action in my opinion. What GM does with their property is rightfully their own business. In some cases, historical items do find their way into the GM Heritage Center collection. That is a good thing, but, all in all, what happens to the General’s property is beyond our purview. My intentions focus on establishing a repository for the general public to contribute, donate, or make available for archival duplication all of the history that has escaped the General's grasp during the past century, and bring it together for the enthusiast and hobby in general to access.

Some of you may have read my previous post concerning the first Pontiac Motor Division retail store located in Pontiac, MI. Here again is a recent picture of the structure.

As of a few weeks ago, it is still on the market, and there are tenants, so a certificate of occupancy is a given. I believe that this location would serve as an ideal, best-of-all-worlds site for a dedicated Pontiac Oakland Museum and Research Center. It has the space and facility resources to house an extensive collection, including vehicles, of P-O history. This is only one possible site, but I think its historic significance, location and physical attributes make it one of the best available choices.

My intent here on the PY Forums site is to endeavor to determine if there is an interest in this wild-ass idea. What would it take to turn this scheme into reality?
Here are some preliminary thoughts:

Purpose: to establish a not-for-profit organization and facility intended to identify, preserve and make accessible to the public an historic record of the Oakland Motor Car Company and Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors Corporation. The main focus will be on the history of the Pontiac, Michigan, General Motors’ assembly facilities and local (SE Michigan) Pontiac-Oakland retail sales centers. Their histories, operations and influences on the local environs will be a central theme.

Location: vicinity of Pontiac, MI

Facility Needs: display area for museum, storage area/study area for paper archives; offices for curators, restroom(s), workshop, meeting room (?)

Personnel Needs: Board of Directors (3 or 5), curator, one or more assistant curators.

Content of Museum: vehicles of interest, memorabilia, paper records and documentation, sales and service material, historical items of interest.

Probable Actions:
o Confirm interest and need for such an organization
o Identify and recruit qualified personnel and service providers like: tax and business lawyers, historians, fundraisers, designers, and architects.
o Establish method of fund raising to implement revenue stream for implementing establishment of facility and faculty
o Identify and acquire suitable facility site
o Staff organization
o Organize museum layout and content design
o Acquire museum content
o Determine funding for ongoing operations expenses such as payroll, utilities, taxes, acquisitions

Is there any interest in this project? My entire lifetime of collecting would be the first donation to such an establishment.

These currently less than favorable economic conditions will not last forever. There are some financially successful individuals in our part of the hobby. Such an organization is also a viable tax shelter/write-off. I foresee initital funding as the most important and earliest hurdle to overcome.

Your thoughts…

Eric