April 26, 2010

Muscle Cars Make Long-Awaited Return To America On Wheels
“Pure Muscle – Fast, Fun and Furious” Opens Saturday

Allentown, Pa – Muscle cars motor their way into America On Wheels this Saturday for a return engagement of some of the fastest and most powerful machines to ever roll off a Detroit assembly line. Pontiac, Plymouth, Ford, Chevy and AMC are all represented in this revisit two years after they helped inaugurate what has become one of the Lehigh Valley’s most unique tourist destinations and a Mecca for motorheads across the Eastern United States. “Pure Muscle – Fast, Fun and Furious” is a dazzling display of the vehicles that represented the turbulent 1960s as they blended muscle, motors and music and gave voice to the Baby Boom Generation. Represented in the display, which open May 1 and runs for six months in the Changing Exhibit Gallery at America On Wheels are limited editions that include a 1965 Pontiac GTO, 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang, a 1969 Corvette Convertible and a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner.

"As America On Wheels celebrates its two year anniversary, we thought it appropriate to bring back the cars that helped us open our doors,” said America On Wheels Executive Director Linda Merkel. “Just as America On Wheels ushered in a new beginning for the redevelopment of the waterfront area of Allentown, these cars ushered in a revolution of design and horsepower as well as impacting the social landscape of Main Street. We look forward to displaying these exceptional examples of Pure Muscle." There are 12 vehicles in the Pure Muscle display, including:

Loren Hulber’s 1965 Pontiac GTO, which has 50,000 original miles on it and spent its entire life in Asbury Park, N.J. There it cruised the circuit around The Stone Pony where Bruce pringsteen and Bon Jovi got their starts. The car received a nut-and-bolt original restoration and an engine build by Jim Taylor Engine Services, regarded as the top builder of Pontiac engines. This car received the Best Debutant Award at the 2006 Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States show, and has won numerous other trophies.

Thomas and Cindy Paxson’s 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500, one of only 2,050 Shelby FT 500s built in 1967. The car was purchased new in 1967 by William Hall in Vineland, N.J. By 1974 the car was taken off the road with 29,738 miles and sat until 1999. The car was subsequently restored to mint condition by August 2002. It now has just 31,000 miles on it. This car won 1st place for the 1967 model year at the National Shelby American Automobile Club Convention. It is the only Shelby Mustang equipped with a factory dual 4-barrel induction system, standard equipment from the factory.

Andrew Panick’s 1969 Corvette Convertible, which has the L71 427-cubic inch, 435-horsepower engine with 3 x 2 barrel carbs. It is one of only 390 produced with the rare L89 aluminum heads. It sports factory-side exhaust, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. List price on this model in 1969 was almost $6,000. Corvettes optioned in this manner could not only burn up the quarter-mile but could handle and brake on par with the best European sports cars.

Ralph and Sharleen Barbagallo’s 1970 Plymouth Road Runner model, which is one of only 16 built and the only black Hemi Road Runner built. On Nov. 4, 2006 this car did 117 mph in 11.90 seconds at the Stock Appearing Drags in Englishtown, N.J.

America On Wheels opened in April 2008 as the cornerstone of the City of Allentown’s redevelopment plans for the Lehigh River waterfront between the Hamilton Street and Tilghman Street bridges just off Front Street. Since the opening it has drawn more than 41,000 visitors, including dignitaries such as U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, Italian automobile collector Nichola Bulgari and famed Indy 500 racer Mario Andretti. Easily accessible to a half-dozen other renowned cultural institutions in Allentown, AOW celebrates our nation’s love affair with motorized and non-motorized over-the-road transportation and its permanent exhibits range from the Nadig – one of America’s first automobiles, produced in Allentown – to the massive Mack Trucks that helped America become the most powerful nation in the world. AOW also offers hands-on playtime exhibits and learning centers for the children and a souvenir shop for race fans and anyone with an affinity for our automotive legacy.

For More Information:
Linda Merkel - Executive Director
America On Wheels Museum
5 N. Front St. Allentown, PA
(610) 432-4200
director@americaonwheels.org
www.americaonwheels.org