When we set out to build the collection, we first went with our heart and passion, but then we started asking the question of “What are the most significant American cars, and which should be part of the collection?”
We consider the 1955-1972 era to be the “Golden Age” of American car building, from styling to performance, so the majority of our vehicles fall within this time frame. Manufacturers started showcasing their performance capabilities with certain limited-edition models that debuted in 1955, and the horsepower game was on.
The “Detroit Arms Race” continued throughout the 1960’s and into the early 1970’s, producing some of the most remarkable vehicles ever conceived until being effectively killed off by the OPEC oil embargo of 1973. ACR pays tribute to this era by concentrating the collection within the performance years, but we don’t consider this time period to be the end-all for American car manufacturing. The collection contains great American cars from several periods of history through the modern era, celebrating the nation’s long-standing automotive heritage