2008 is the Year of the Car!

General Motors' centennial and the Ford Model T centennial headline a summer jam-packed with auto-themed events in southeast Michigan!

DETROIT, April 3, 2008 -- On September 16, 1908, Billy Durant founded General Motors. Two weeks later, Henry Ford sold his first Model T. The "2008: Year of the Car" is a summer-long auto-tourism festival in southeastern Michigan to celebrate these momentous centennials and offer residents and tourists an unprecedented palette of auto-themed attractions.

Year of the Car launches in conjunction with National Transportation Week on May 10, 2008 and concludes five months later with the Automotive Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in early October. In between, Year of the Car links more than 100 activities at nearly 60 different locations, giving residents and tourists many never-before-offered automotive experiences.

Year of the Car is a collaborative effort being organized and sponsored by MotorCities National Heritage Area, an affiliate of the National Park Service, dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting the automotive heritage of Michigan. Additional Year of the Car partners include Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, The Henry Ford, Travel Michigan, and dozens of other organizations that celebrate automotive heritage throughout the region.

In addition to the Ford and General Motors sponsored centennial celebrations coming in September, Year of the Car will honor GM and the Ford Model T with phenomenal experiences including:

Museums and Collections:

GM: GM Heritage Center: Take a rare behind-the-scenes look at GM's stunning, private car collection, where hundreds of GM concept cars, production cars and race cars have been lovingly maintained and restored. This facility is typically closed to the public; however, MotorCities has the privilege of opening this fascinating venue on a limited schedule during the Year of the Car celebrations.

Ford Model T: The Henry Ford, America's Greatest History Attraction, has created "The Model T Experience", a series of unique programs and events that celebrate the car that changed the face of America and the world. Hop in a real Model T and take a narrated tour through Greenfield Village. From Model T songs, commemorative gifts and an audience participation game show called "What's My Assembly Line?", The Henry Ford pays a summer-long tribute to the car that put the world on wheels.

Other "2008: Year of the Car" museums and collections include: The Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint, Detroit Historical Museum's Motor City Exhibition, GMnext showroom in Detroit, and the R.E. Olds Museum in Lansing.

Car Shows and Cruises:

GM: GM 100th Anniversary Parade in Flint: An incredible array of authentic, storied products including vehicles from every year from 1908 to 2008. The Buick Club of America National Meet is also part of the week long "City of Flint's General Motors 100".

Ford Model T: Old Car Festival at The Henry Ford: See America's longest- running car show featuring hundreds of pre-1930's cars. This year, Old Car Festival will pay special homage to the Model T with over 200 "Tin Lizzies" on display.

Other "2008: Year of the Car" cruises and car shows include: Automotive Hall of Fame's "The GM Century: The Men. The Machines.", Back to the Bricks Cruise and Car Show in Flint, Cruisin' MotorCities, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Detroit Festival of Speed and Style, Eyes on Design, the Official Model T Centennial Celebration at Ford World Headquarters, Gilmore Museum's "Cars of the First 50 Years of GM", Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, 2008 Model T Ford Club International Tour, Motor Muster, Woodward Dream Cruise, and the Year of the Car Cruise during National Transportation Week.

Home and Building Tours:

GM: Durant Dort Carriage Company: Tour the Durant Dort Carriage Company Headquarters in Flint where William C. "Billy" Durant applied his highly successful carriage company experience to the fledgling auto industry. See Durant's beautifully restored "birthplace of GM" and learn about the early days of what ultimately became one of America's most iconic companies.

Ford Model T: The Model T Centennial Tour: Visit the sites that figure prominently in the Model T story: The 1904 Ford Piquette Avenue Plant (the birthplace of the Model T), Clara and Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate (the home that the Model T built), Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (an exhibit on how Edsel designed the replacement for the Model T -- the Model A) and The Henry Ford (launching "The Model T Experience").

Other "2008: Year of the Car" home and building tours include: Carriagetown Neighborhood Tours, Dearborn Inn, Fisher Mansion, the popular Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Ford Village Industries Driving Tour, GM Architectural Tour hosted by Preservation Wayne, and GM Renaissance Center tours.

Arts and Education:

GM: GM Wiki: GM is inviting people from around the world to contribute to the Generations of GM Wiki on GMnext.com and share their personal experiences from the company's first 100 years.

Ford Model T: Rethinking the Model T at the College for Creative Studies (CCS): Ford Design staff is challenging Transportation Design students at CCS to develop Model T design concepts that Henry Ford might have created 100 years after he designed the original. Students put themselves in Henry Ford's shoes and create concepts that aim to deliver a similar impact on the automobile industry in 2008 as did the original Model T in 1908.

Other "2008: Year of the Car" arts and education projects include: Build a Model T for students (grades 6-12), Dearborn Artists Society Model T Exhibition, GMnext.com, Model T 101, Model T Youth Summer Camp Program, The Henry Ford Ideas and Innovation Lecture Series, and the World of Model T Conference. In addition, at least two automotive history books, GM Art and Colour by Michael Furman and Model T, A Centennial History by Robert Casey, will be published during the centennial year.

"Detroit has always been mecca for auto enthusiasts worldwide," said Gary Familian, Executive Director, MotorCities National Heritage Area. "With the '2008: Year of the Car' program, we have hit a high-water mark with an incredible itinerary of new, once-in-a-lifetime visitor experiences. We are thrilled to be a part of this fabulous summer-long experience."

Please visit www.motorcities.org for more information on "2008: Year of the Car" including a full roster of activities.