LeMay Seeks Tacoma Cars for Local Flavor Show
Tacoma-area owners with heirloom, racing, or custom vehicles can submit them before the December 14, 2026 deadline.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Car Culture
LeMay - America's Car Museum is inviting vehicle owners and community members to submit cars and stories for its "Local Flavor" exhibition, which will showcase vehicles, people, and history from Tacoma, the South Sound, and the greater Pacific Northwest. The community recruitment campaign runs through December 14, 2026, and the exhibition opens January 23, 2027.
Why it matters
For Tacoma-area car owners, families with vehicle heirlooms, and local car clubs, this is a chance to have a neighborhood car, racing history, or custom build displayed in a major regional museum. The campaign gives local enthusiasts a direct path to share vehicles and memorabilia that reflect the region's automotive heritage.
The campaign seeks family heirlooms, neighborhood vehicles, local racing history, custom creations, and motorcycles, plus artwork, photographs, and memorabilia from local artists, historians, car clubs, and businesses. Each submission is reviewed by the museum's curatorial team, and owners whose vehicles are selected for further consideration will be contacted directly.
The players
LeMay - America's Car Museum
A Tacoma car museum known for its broad collection of American automobiles and its rotating themed exhibitions.
The details
Residents, businesses, car clubs, collectors, and enthusiasts submit vehicles and stories through a community-wide recruitment campaign that runs until December 14, 2026. The museum's curatorial team reviews every submission, and selected owners are then contacted to discuss participation, loan arrangements, and next steps. The exhibition will occupy the museum's top-floor gallery after "Birth of the American Supercar" and remains on display through May 2027.
Timeline
December 14, 2026: Community vehicle recruitment campaign closes.
January 23, 2027: "Local Flavor" exhibition opens in the top-floor gallery.
May 2027: "Local Flavor" exhibition scheduled to close.
The Home Front
The campaign follows the museum's "Birth of the American Supercar" exhibition in the top-floor gallery, moving from national performance-car history to a regionally sourced collection. For Tacoma households, it is a local counterpart to the broader enthusiast culture that shapes how many families keep and display vehicles.
If you own a vehicle with a family history, a local racing past, or a custom build, consider gathering its documentation and photos before the December 14, 2026 deadline. Keep records of ownership and restoration work handy in case the curatorial team requests them.
The takeaway
A car's history and the stories attached to it can be as valuable as its condition, so keep those records organized. Calendar the December 14, 2026 submission deadline if you want your vehicle considered for the January 23, 2027 opening.
What happens next
Owners who submit a vehicle before the December 14, 2026 deadline may be contacted by the curatorial team about further consideration.
Further reading
For more on the enthusiast scene behind this call, browse our Car Culture coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by THE SHOP.
