National Historic Vehicle Register
Daily Activities at National Historic Vehicle Register
While there are no scheduled activities today, be sure to see our complete activities listing for upcoming offerings.
Explore a rotating collection of culturally significant vehicles from the National Historic Vehicle Register, powered by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation, at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
The National Historic Vehicle Register was created in 2013 in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record. The register is a thorough record of the nation’s most significant vehicles based on the association of four criteria at a national, regional or local level. Archived in the Historic American Engineering Record at the Library of Congress to ensure the perpetuity of our automotive past, the register is comprised of four major components:
- Written histories detailing significant provenance and condition
- Detailed photography
- 3D scanning
- Documentary videos
How are 3D scans of each vehicle on the National Historic Vehicle Register created? Watch this Innovation Nation clip to find out.
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Current Featured Vehicle:
Esau and Janie B. Jenkins’ 1966 Volkswagen Deluxe Station Wagon
Added to the National Historic Vehicle Register: 2019
Esau and Janie B. Jenkins dedicated themselves to improving the lives of Black residents on Johns Island, South Carolina. They formed clubs and committees that provided education, childcare, food assistance, financial support and transportation. Esau Jenkins purchased this Volkswagen van circa 1967, and the couple used it in much of their work.
After Esau’s death in 1972, the Volkswagen was retired to the Jenkinses’ backyard, where time and nature took their toll. The family purposely chose not to restore it. The van’s rugged character is a tribute to the selfless service of Esau and Janie Jenkins — and a testament to the long road toward equal rights.
