Featured Exhibit: Experience Automotive Innovation with the Ford Mustang

Did you know that when you visit the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Museum, you can experience more than 50 years of automotive design and technology? It’s all contained in our one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang exhibit.

Why was this exhibit created?

Sponsored by Ford Motor Co., our custom Ford Mustang became the centerpiece of our Intellectual Property Power® exhibit in May of 2016. By merging 1965 and 2015 Mustang models, this custom split-model car demonstrates the progress of automotive design and technology over the course of 50 years.

Visitors see how Ford advanced the Mustang’s design and features through intellectual property as technology evolved and consumer preferences changed. Through the years, each patented innovation built on the ideas that came before it, paving the way for a new class of American muscle cars.

What can visitors expect from this exhibit?

This interactive exhibit offers visitors a chance to climb inside our split-model car. Not only will visitors get a firsthand look at how a half a century of innovation has evolved, but they can honk the horn, rev the engine and take photos to remember all the fun.

Visitors can also learn about the many patents that have made the Mustang an iconic car. These patented features include armrests, seat belts and an exhaust catalyst that helped it run more efficiently. Several NIHF Inductees contributed to the invention of the catalytic converter, including Haren Gandhi, Eugene Houdry, Rodney D. Bagley, Irwin M. Lachman and Ronald M. Lewis.

Explore the history of American innovation at the NIHF Museum

Experience our custom Ford Mustang for yourself when you visit our museum in Alexandria, Virginia! Start planning your visit now!