Walter P. Chrysler Museum Announces 2011 Lecture/Workshop Series

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich., announces its complete 2011 Lecture/Workshop Series comprised of six sessions highlighting a wide range of topics for die-hard auto enthusiasts as well as novice car owners.

The series kicks off Saturday, April 16 with The Art of the Auction, featuring RM Auctions and Auctions America by RM.

Rounding out the 2011 series is:

• Non-Destructive Paint Repair Techniques, Saturday, May 21
• 70 Years of Jeep® Heritage, Saturday, July 16
• Maintaining Today's Cars, Saturday, Sept. 24
• From Chrysler's Vintage Master Tech Files, Wednesday, Oct. 26
• Model Train Clinic, Saturday, Dec. 3

Individual program highlights:

The Art of the Auction

10 a.m. – noon Saturday, April 16

$15 per person advance, $17 at the door (Museum members $13 and $15, respectively)  

Car specialists from RM Auctions and its new subsidiary, Auctions America by RM, will lead The Art of the Auction on April 16, offering expert advice and an inside look at the collector hobby.  The interactive session -- in the Museum's second floor theater -- will explore:

• An overview of the car collecting pastime and the market, as well as a forecast for the upcoming summer auction season (including recommendations on what to buy, hold and sell).
• Collector cars as "alternative investments."
• Tips for buying and selling at auction.
• Behind-the-scenes accounts from such prestigious RM-hosted annual auctions as Arizona, Amelia Island, Michigan (formerly Meadow Brook), and Monterey, as well as from Auctions America by RM's debut Auburn Fall sale.

Non-Destructive Paint Repair Techniques

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21

$55 per person advance/$60 per person door (Museum members $50 and $55, respectively)

Chrysler Academy School of Technical Training instructors will detail do-it-yourself techniques for repairing general paint finish imperfections such as dirt and bugs, light scratches and maintenance on both new and vintage vehicles like a pro.  Instruction will be held in the Museum's theater throughout the morning, followed by small group demonstrations within the labs of the nearby training facility in the afternoon.  (Includes lunch in the Museum's exhibition galleries.  Space is limited.)

70 Years of Jeep® Heritage

9:30 a.m. – noon Saturday, July 16

$13 per person advance/$15 per person door (Museum members $11 and $13, respectively)

Celebrate the Jeep Brand's 70th anniversary by joining avid Jeep history buff and Chrysler retiree Larry Johnson for a look at the iconic vehicle's evolutionary rise from military reconnaissance use to the transportation of choice in navigating all manner of terrain for millions of adventure-seekers.

Maintaining Today's Cars

10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24

$10 per person advance/$12 per person door (Museum members $8 and $10, respectively)

If you're a first-time vehicle owner or have a new driver in the family, this session is for you.  Protect your investment and avoid getting stranded by learning about required maintenance including checking the oil, safely filling the fuel tank and changing a flat tire.  Learn what dashboard warning lights indicate and how to handle roadside emergencies.  Tips and techniques presented in the session's first half will be reinforced via hands-on demonstrations in the second half.  

From Chrysler's Vintage Master Tech Files

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26

$13 per person advance/$15 per person door (Museum members $11 and $13, respectively)

For more than 60 years, Chrysler dealership technicians have learned in-depth diagnostics and service procedures through a monthly training program that's believed to be the longest running of its kind.  Master Tech courses -- which are Web-based today -- have advanced as much as the vehicles they highlight.  Join Steve Shugg, retired Director of Mopar® Sales and Training and Field Operations, for an entertainingly nostalgic look back at the then cutting-edge training from Master Tech's earliest days via delightfully antiquated original filmstrips.

Model Train Clinic

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3

$2 per person ages 5 and up with regular Museum admission ($1 for Museum members)

Celebrate the season with a stroll through the Museum's Cars, Trees & Traditions exhibition and delight in a variety of trains running through elaborate landscapes on an oval track in Boss Chrysler's Garage every holiday weekend with regular Museum admission, courtesy of the Stoney Creek Model Railroad Club.  Club members will host a Model Train Clinic Dec. 3 to work with young train lovers in creating lifelike scenery from everyday materials and provide tips to moms and dads about easy, inexpensive ways to start a model train tradition at home. 

Advance registration for each of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum's 2011 Lecture/Workshop programs -- including refreshments -- is accepted online at www.wpchryslermuseum.org, via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 248-944-0450.

Located on the Chrysler Group LLC complex in Auburn Hills, at exit 78 (Chrysler Dr.) off I-75, the Museum is available for corporate and private meetings and events and offers a K-12 education program as well as membership and volunteer opportunities.  Families can enjoy Kids' Corner, with regular Museum admission, an area for pre-school -- elementary school-age children to enjoy automotive-inspired puzzles, games, projects, books and coloring activities.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) public charity and operates independently of Chrysler Group LLC.  Donations are tax-deductible.

SOURCE Walter P. Chrysler Museum