Did you know that each year, Washington DC gets a tiny car museum placed in the middle of the National Mall? That “car museum” is the annual Hagerty Drivers Foundation Cars at the Capital exhibit where we feature the latest cars added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. This year, two important examples of automotive history took center stage – Ed Roth’s Beatnik Bandit (NHVR No. 35) and the 1967 Dodge Deora built by the Alexander Brothers. (NHVR No. 36).

Part of our goal each year with Cars at the Capital is to engage the next generation in automotive culture and provide hands-on educational opportunities for people of all ages. This year seeing as the cars on display became famous toy and model cars, we had model kits on hand for visitors to try their hand at building their own, and 1:64 scale cars for the littlest kids to color their own hot rods and customs! We also had a special guest visit – notable Hot Wheels collector Bruce Pascal brought out his custom Model T that was the inspiration for one of the first Hot Wheels cars released back in 1968.

Ed Roth’s Beatnik Bandit (NHVR No. 35) 

This wild and crazy custom car built by artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in the early 1960s swept the show circuit for it's outlandish style. After becoming a popular DIY model kit and one of the very first Hot Wheels cars, it became known worldwide by children and adults alike.

Read more on the Beatnik Bandit

1967 Dodge Deora built by the Alexander Brothers (NHVR No. 36)

The Alexander Brothers of Detroit, Michigan built this radically customized Dodge A100 truck to show their skills at the 1967 Detroit Autorama car show. After winning the top-honors "Ridler Award", it was immortalized as a popular DIY model kit and later became one of the very first Hot Wheels cars! 

Read more on the Dodge Deora

As part of the work done to document these automotive icons, both have been thoroughly photographed in a studio and laser scanned by technicians from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Their history will eventually reside in the Library of Congress, preserving the legacy of the automobile in America for generations to come.

This year we’d like to extend a special thanks to our donors that helped make the 2024 exhibit possible and put America’s automotive history in our nation’s Capital for all to appreciate!  

Check out our recap video of the event! We plan to be back in DC next September so stay tuned for more information when we announce dates and the cars that will be on display!