A Driving Force in Automotive Heritage | June 17, 2026

Newsletter Vol 18. Issue - 24

Story of the Week

Automotive Design History: Eugene Bordinat at GM and Ford

By Robert Tate, award-winning automotive historian and researcher

Eugene Bordinat (February 10, 1920 - August 11, 1987) was an American car designer who began his career at General Motors in the late 1930s and later became vice president of design at Ford Motor Company, where he played a major role in shaping mid-century automotive styling and...

Read This Week's Story

Travel and Recreation: Historical Overview of Michigan Green Book sites

The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) studied Michigan’s historic African American Travel guide locations and their role in the state’s travel and tourism history. Researchers have confirmed that 49 listed sites are still standing, while the status of 54 additional locations remains unknown. Over the coming months, SHPO will feature several of these properties in its newsletter to encourage public awareness and gather additional historical information from community members and local partners.

Click here for more information on the project.

Want to share an automotive memory? Click here to share your story today.

This Week in Auto Heritage

On June 18, 1923, Checker Cab rolled its first taxi off the production line in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Checker Cab Manufacturing Company began in Chicago with founder Morris Markin (pictured), but Markin quickly moved his main operations to Kalamazoo thanks to a wealth of skilled Michigan auto workers available and the extra space provided by the Handley-Knight and Dort Body plants. Over time, Checker Cab grew into one of the top taxi companies in the country. For the next 60 years, the company regularly produced over 5,000 cabs annually, going as high as 8,000 cabs in 1962. That same year, Checker Cab owned a quarter of all 135,000 taxicabs across the U.S.

Unfortunately, Checker Cab taxis were 4,000-pound gas guzzlers. When the company could no longer keep up with rising gas prices in the 1970s, it began losing money, and 1982 marked the end of Checker Cab production in Kalamazoo. Despite the end of an era, Checker Cab became an icon, and their signature black and white checkerboard remains synonymous with the industry they once dominated.

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Upcoming Events

June 18th: The Stahls Motors & Music Experience hosts their monthly "Night at the Museum" Event

The Stahls Motors & Music Experience hosts its Night at the Museum event for February. Come and see the museum in a different light, with the overhead lights dimmed and the neon lights of signs a blaze to bring the cars into a new focus.

For more information, click here.

June 21st: EyesOn Design at the Ford House

A Father’s Day tradition returns as Ford House hosts the annual EyesOn Design. Vehicle owners are encouraged to bring and show their rolling sculptures with the world. Judging of the vehicles is predominately conducted by automotive designers using professional design criteria, unlike a concours d’elegance event where the judging is based on restoration or authenticity.

This event attracts some of the world’s leading designers, collectors, and fans for an unmatched day.

For more information, click here.

June 22-27: 54th Annual POCI International Convention

Auto enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada will gather in Pontiac to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pontiac Motor Division. This year marks 100 years since the January 1926 introduction of the Pontiac brand. Several events are planned by Pontiac-Oakland Club International and the Pontiac Transportation Museum.

For more information on upcoming events, click here.

June 20th and 21st: Motor Muster returns to Greenfield Village for Father's Day Weekend

Kick summer into high gear this Father’s Day weekend in Greenfield Village. Motor Muster, one of the country’s most important historic vehicle shows, transports you to the golden eras of car culture. Cruise through an unparalleled collection of historic vehicles for a rare opportunity to step inside immersive vignettes from five of the American auto revolution’s most formative decades. From the lean Depression-era ‘30s and the American home front during World War II to the futuristic ‘50s, revolutionary ‘60s and bicentennial ‘70s, get a unique perspective on American culture through the lens of what we drove.

For 2026, the theme will be 1965, with the opening of the Jackson Home in Greenfield Village. Within its walls, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his allies planned the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. Their efforts helped pave the way for the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

At the same time, the American automobile industry experienced its own surge, producing a record-breaking 8.8 million vehicles. As the nation witnessed the Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum, Mustang sales soared, muscle cars filled the streets, and Ralph Nader's influential book Unsafe at Any Speed placed automotive safety front and center. Motor Muster celebrates this important year, bridging social transformation with automotive innovations that defined 1965.

For more information, click here.

June 27th: The Michigan Firehouse Museum will host "Michigan Wine Festival" at the museum

Check out the Michigan Firehouse Museum upcoming wine festival event and secure your ticket for a chance to stroll through one of the country’s best fire museums while enjoying some food, beverages and crafts from local Michigan vendors.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Ready for the travel season? Gear up with our Passport Program. Click here to learn more!

To make a donation anytime to MotorCities, click here to visit Network for Good.

MotorCities National Heritage Area | 313.259.3425 | www.motorcities.org