*This event takes place at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN.

Saturday, November 12, 2016 – 1 pm AND 3 pm

Downton Abbey and vintage car fans alike can enjoy delving into “Driving Downton” at the Studebaker National Museum November 12 and 13.  Renée Crist, Collections Manager of LeMay – America’s Car Museum, will celebrate Dressing Downton: Changing Fashion for Changing Times exhibit currently on display at South Bend’s Natural History Museum by exploring the vehicles featured on the PBS hit television show Downton Abbey.

“I’m starting at the beginning of the Downton period, which is about the time the Titanic sank in 1912, and going through the end of the series in 1925,” said Crist. “It’s a wonderful period for the automobile both in Europe and America. The cars that appear throughout the series are almost like another set of characters.  Not only do they add to the atmosphere and the story of the people who rode in them and drove in them, but they also help move the story along.”

If you’re a fan of the show, a look at the cars will likely add an extra dimension you never knew was there. Crist will not only delve into individual cars in the show, but also will explain how the cars mirror the class structure of the people. While the class structure ranges from the aristocracy down to the working class, the cars range from the luxurious Rolls Royce to the car for everyone, the Ford Model T.