Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Displays 1911 Marmon Wasp, First Indy 500 Winner

The National Historic Vehicle Register’s (NHVR) display in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn will feature a new vehicle starting this month as part of The Henry Ford’s partnership with the Hagerty Drivers Foundation.

The 1911 Marmon Wasp is on display in the NHVR exhibition space now through November.

The Wasp, winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500-mile race in 1911, is one of America’s most significant race cars. Ray Harroun, an engineer, airplane pilot, and race car driver custom-built and drove the single-seat Marmon to victory.

It is believed to be among the first cars to utilize a rearview mirror, which allowed Harroun a slight advantage in that he did not have a passenger “riding mechanic” watching traffic behind him.

In the 100-plus years of racing at the Indianapolis track, the annual Memorial Day competition has become one of the most important races in the world, drawing some of the largest single-day spectator counts for a sporting event.

The NHVR rotating exhibit is part of a partnership between The Henry Ford and the Hagerty Drivers Foundation to display cars from the National Historic Vehicle Register that tell the story of the automobile in American history.

The yellow #32 1911 Marmon Wasp, owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, was added to the National Historic Vehicle Register in 2016.

The NHVR display is included with admission to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

The Henry Ford includes Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center, and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school.

For more information on hours and tickets, visit thehenryford.org/ .

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