Walter P. Chrysler Museum to Host Specialty Vehicle Program By Expert Author and Avid Fire Engine Buff Walt McCall

March 16, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, in Auburn Hills, Mich., will host a specialty vehicle presentation by Walt McCall, 9:30 a.m. – noon Saturday, April 17.  One of North America’s best known and most prolific authors on the subject of motor fire apparatus, McCall’s two-part program – How I Got Hooked (and Laddered): Confessions of a Lifelong Fire Engine Buff and The Professional Car: The Rise and Decline of Passenger Car-Based Ambulances and Funeral Cars – will showcase decades of vehicle evolution.

Registration, including refreshments and Museum admission, is $12 in advance and $15 at the door ($10 and $14, respectively, for Museum members).  McCall’s presentation will be held in the Museum’s second floor theater and will feature an array of projected historical vehicle images.

McCall’s fascinating retrospective will highlight the vast knowledge he details in the 18 books he has authored starting with his first in 1976, American Fire Engines Since 1900, still considered the “bible” of the old fire engine hobby.  McCall has written ten books on fire apparatus, as well as another six on vintage hearses and ambulances, his other area of antique vehicle expertise.  Several titles will be available for purchase – and autograph – following McCall’s presentation.

A retired Manager - Corporate Public Affairs for Chrysler Canada Ltd and former award-winning fire and police reporter and automotive editor for The Windsor Star, McCall’s lifelong love affair with fire engines spans more than 50 years.  He helped establish and lead several U.S. and Canadian enthusiast organizations, simultaneously serving as editor of multiple association and hobbyist publications while contributing articles to other North American fire service and antique vehicle magazines.

To register or for additional information about the April 17 presentation, visit Featured Events at www.wpchryslermuseum.org, e-mail events@wpchryslermuseum.org or call 248-944-0450.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is located on Chrysler Group LLC’s headquarters complex in Auburn Hills, Mich., accessible from I-75 at exit 78 (Chrysler Dr.).

The Museum is open for self-guided tours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday and noon – 5 p.m. Sunday.  Regular admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for children ages 6 – 12. Children five and under are admitted free.  Two-for-one discount admission coupons are available at www.wpchryslermuseum.org, though not valid for the Walt McCall presentation.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity and donations are tax-deductible.