J.F.K.'s Convertible on Display at Museum of Automobiles
April 1, 2005
J.F.K.'s Convertible Now on
Display at Museum of Automobiles
*****
By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Former President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible is now on display at The Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton.
"It's one of three cars that the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company gave to J.F.K. in late 1962 for his personal use and the personal use of his staff," Buddy Hoelzeman, director of the museum, explained. "In other words, it wasn't an official car like the ones the Secret Service drove him around in. This could have been one of the cars that Kennedy would just jump in and take off. I think [the Secret Service] lost him one time." Hoelzeman has pictures, which he received from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, of the Kennedy family with the car.
The Lincoln convertible has a 430 CI, V-8 engine with a bore of 4.29 inches and a stroke of 3.7 inches. With its turbo-drive automatic transmission, Carter AFB Four-Barrel carburetor and wheel base of 123 inches, this convertible is 213.3 inches in length with a weight of 5,340 pounds. Its cost new was $6,916 and 3,138 of these '63 convertibles were produced.
The convertible is on an open-ended loan to the museum from The William J. Clinton Foundation. Hoelzeman said he received a call from Skip Rutherford, president of the foundation, asking if the museum would be interested in displaying the convertible. "Someone bought the car and gave it to Bill Clinton," Hoelzeman explained. "It wouldn't be appropriate to be displayed in the Clinton Presidential Center, so it's on long-term loan to our museum."
Kennedy's convertible is the second presidential car on display at the museum with the first being Clinton's '67 Mustang. "We're very fortunate to have it on display," Hoelzeman said.
The Museum of Automobiles has a total of 51 cars on display, ranging in age from 1904 to 1967. "We rotate some new cars in periodically throughout the year," Hoelzeman added. "Eight to ten cars per year are changed out. We're continually looking for new cars because we have a lot of return visitors to Petit Jean."
The museum consists of 22,500 square feet of display space and a gift shop. Other auto-related collections on display are antique gas pumps and gasoline equipment and license plates. "We have every plate the State of Arkansas ever issued beginning with 1911," Hoelzeman said. The museum also has a small gun collection display and antique arcade machines, including a player piano. "These are the forerunners to the video machine," Hoelzeman added. "You can see what the kids played with their pennies and nickels."
The museum, located at the eastern entrance of Petit Jean State Park on Ark. 154, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, closing only on Christmas Day. Admission is $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors aged 65 and older, $3 for students aged 6-17, and free for children under six accompanied by an adult.
The museum also hosts two car shows and swap meets each year, where collectors and buy and sell cars, car parts, and anything related to the hobby. The event, Mustangs on the Mountain, is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 29 at the museum. Admission will be free.
For more information, phone (501) 727-5427 or visit www.museumofautos.com.
####
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
J.F.K.'s Convertible Now on
Display at Museum of Automobiles
*****
By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Former President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible is now on display at The Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton.
"It's one of three cars that the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company gave to J.F.K. in late 1962 for his personal use and the personal use of his staff," Buddy Hoelzeman, director of the museum, explained. "In other words, it wasn't an official car like the ones the Secret Service drove him around in. This could have been one of the cars that Kennedy would just jump in and take off. I think [the Secret Service] lost him one time." Hoelzeman has pictures, which he received from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, of the Kennedy family with the car.
The Lincoln convertible has a 430 CI, V-8 engine with a bore of 4.29 inches and a stroke of 3.7 inches. With its turbo-drive automatic transmission, Carter AFB Four-Barrel carburetor and wheel base of 123 inches, this convertible is 213.3 inches in length with a weight of 5,340 pounds. Its cost new was $6,916 and 3,138 of these '63 convertibles were produced.
The convertible is on an open-ended loan to the museum from The William J. Clinton Foundation. Hoelzeman said he received a call from Skip Rutherford, president of the foundation, asking if the museum would be interested in displaying the convertible. "Someone bought the car and gave it to Bill Clinton," Hoelzeman explained. "It wouldn't be appropriate to be displayed in the Clinton Presidential Center, so it's on long-term loan to our museum."
Kennedy's convertible is the second presidential car on display at the museum with the first being Clinton's '67 Mustang. "We're very fortunate to have it on display," Hoelzeman said.
The Museum of Automobiles has a total of 51 cars on display, ranging in age from 1904 to 1967. "We rotate some new cars in periodically throughout the year," Hoelzeman added. "Eight to ten cars per year are changed out. We're continually looking for new cars because we have a lot of return visitors to Petit Jean."
The museum consists of 22,500 square feet of display space and a gift shop. Other auto-related collections on display are antique gas pumps and gasoline equipment and license plates. "We have every plate the State of Arkansas ever issued beginning with 1911," Hoelzeman said. The museum also has a small gun collection display and antique arcade machines, including a player piano. "These are the forerunners to the video machine," Hoelzeman added. "You can see what the kids played with their pennies and nickels."
The museum, located at the eastern entrance of Petit Jean State Park on Ark. 154, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, closing only on Christmas Day. Admission is $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors aged 65 and older, $3 for students aged 6-17, and free for children under six accompanied by an adult.
The museum also hosts two car shows and swap meets each year, where collectors and buy and sell cars, car parts, and anything related to the hobby. The event, Mustangs on the Mountain, is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 29 at the museum. Admission will be free.
For more information, phone (501) 727-5427 or visit www.museumofautos.com.
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"