International Federation of Automotive History Societies

International Federation of Automotive History Societies
Name	International Federation of Automotive History Societies
Formation	1964
Type	Non-profit federation
Region served	Worldwide
Headquarters	Geneva

International Federation of Automotive History Societies is an umbrella association of national and regional automobile historian organizations that coordinates research, preservation, and dissemination of automotive heritage. Founded amid postwar revival in the 1960s, the federation links societies across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa to support museums, archives, and private collections such as those at the Le May - America's Car Museum, National Motor Museum (Beaulieu), Petersen Automotive Museum, Conservatoire de l'Automobile Henri Malartre, and Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile. Its membership includes societies associated with marques like Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar Cars, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company, Nissan Motor Corporation, Mazda, Subaru Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors, Volkswagen, Škoda Auto, SEAT, Opel, Vauxhall, Daimler AG, Tatra (company), Duesenberg, Bugatti, Lancia, Saab Automobile, Volvo Cars, Mini (marque), Triumph Motor Company, Morris Garages, Imperial (automobile), Studebaker, Packard, Hudson Motor Car Company, Chrysler, Plymouth (automobile), AMC (American Motors), DeSoto, Oldsmobile, Kaiser-Frazer, Hudson Motor Car Company.

History

The federation was established in 1964 following initiatives by representatives from the Automobile Club de France, Royal Automobile Club, Society of Automotive Historians, Automotive History Preservation Society, and the Vintage Sports-Car Club to address challenges faced by institutions such as the Science Museum, London, Henry Ford Museum, Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, The National Motor Museum, and the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Early collaboration involved figures from Louis Renault (engineer), Enzo Ferrari, Henry Royce, William Lyons circles and institutions connected to British Leyland, Nash Motors, Studebaker-Packard Corporation, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and Bentley Motors Limited. During the 1970s and 1980s the federation expanded as societies from United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa joined, while engaging with events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Le Mans 24 Hours, and exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution.

Membership and Structure

Member organizations range from national bodies such as the Society of Automotive Historians, Automobile Club d'Italia, Deutsches Museum Gesellschaft, Royal Automobile Club of Australia, Japan Automobile Federation, Automobile Association (United Kingdom), Canadian Automobile Association to marque-specific groups like the Ferrari Club Italia, Porsche Club of America, Mercedes-Benz Club USA, BMW Car Club of America, Aston Martin Owners Club and local historical societies connected to museums such as Museo Ferrari, Petersen Automotive Museum, National Motor Museum (Birdwood), and Beaulieu National Motor Museum. Governance comprises an executive council with roles modeled on structures used by International Council of Museums, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and similar federations, with rotating presidencies drawn from clubs in France, United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Italy, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Austria. Committees liaise with institutions including the National Archives (United Kingdom), Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and regional archives like the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Activities and Programs

Programs include coordinated conservation efforts for artifacts from collections such as the Roudaut Collection, Blackhawk Museum collection, Lane Motor Museum collection, and the Porsche Museum archive, collaborative exhibitions with the Victoria and Albert Museum, Imperial War Museum, Science Museum Group, Museo Galileo, Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, and public outreach tied to events like Goodwood Revival and Monterey Car Week. The federation facilitates oral history initiatives involving figures and institutions linked to Henry Ford, Soichiro Honda, Kiichiro Toyoda, Ferdinand Porsche, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Carroll Shelby, Amedeo Gordini, and Marcello Gandini. It advises restoration projects for vehicles such as Ford Model T, Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, Jaguar E-Type, Volkswagen Beetle, Citroën DS, Mini Cooper, Ferrari 250 GTO, and collaborates with heritage bodies like the National Trust (United Kingdom).

Publications and Research

The federation publishes bulletins, proceedings, and collaborative catalogues drawing on scholarship associated with journals and institutions such as the Society of Automotive Historians' Automobile Quarterly, Journal of Transport History, Technology and Culture, the Society of Automotive Historians, Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile publications, Petersen Automotive Museum research, and the Deutsches Museum research center. Research projects have produced bibliographies, provenance studies, and technical analyses referencing the works of historians connected to Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Étienne Lenoir, Armand Peugeot, Gustave Citroën, Giovanni Agnelli, William C. Durant, Walter Chrysler, Ransom Olds, Ferdinand von Zeppelin and engineering archives held by Babcock & Wilcox, Rover Company archives, and the Fiat Historical Archive. Collaborative catalogues document collections at Museo Ferrari, Porsche Museum, Mercedes-Benz Museum, BMW Museum, Museum Autoveteranů, and regional museums in Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Russia, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.

Conferences and Events

Regular international congresses rotate among host societies in cities such as Paris, London, Munich, Stuttgart, Milan, Turin, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Melbourne, Auckland, Johannesburg, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Zurich, and Geneva. These gatherings include paper sessions, panel discussions, workshops and vehicle rallies linked to programs by Goodwood Festival of Speed, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Salon International de l'Automobile (Geneva Motor Show), IAA (Frankfurt Motor Show), Tokyo Motor Show, Paris Motor Show, and specialized symposia in partnership with International Council on Archives, ICOMOS, Historic Vehicle Association, Veteran Car Club of Great Britain, Antique Automobile Club of America, Classic Car Club of America, and university departments at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Technical University of Munich, Politecnico di Torino, University of Tokyo, Tsinghua University, Monash University, and University of Oxford.

Awards and Recognition

The federation confers awards to recognize excellence in historiography, conservation, museum curation, and publications, often honoring work connected to figures and institutions like Enzo Ferrari, Ferdinand Porsche, Henry Ford, William Lyons, Carroll Shelby, Soichiro Honda, Giovanni Agnelli, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Pininfarina, Bertone, Zagato, and museums such as Petersen Automotive Museum, Mercedes-Benz Museum, National Motor Museum (Beaulieu), Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, and Museo Ferrari. Awards have been presented to curators and scholars affiliated with Smithsonian Institution, Victoria and Albert Museum, Deutsches Museum, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Library of Congress, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and private collections like Blackhawk Museum and Le May - America’s Car Museum. The federation also issues certificates for notable restoration projects, archival acquisitions, and lifetime achievement acknowledging contributions from members of Society of Automotive Historians, Automobile Club de France, Royal Automobile Club, Automotive History Preservation Society, and marque clubs worldwide.

Category:Automotive history