The Lane Motor Museum offers a dazzling array of displays that explore the history of motorized transportation and cars’ roles in culture. One current exhibit, Celebrating 50 Years of Subaru in America, looks at the half-century since two businessmen first tried their hands at selling the Japanese manufacturer’s petite 360 model in the U.S. — a venture that initially failed in a big way. But the omnipresence of Subarus in grocery store parking lots today tells you how far the company has come. One curious Subaru of America project came about as a response to the 1973 oil crisis: The X100, a three-wheeled vehicle that used leftover aircraft parts and the motor from the tiny Subaru Rex to achieve the landmark efficiency figure of 100 mpg. Engineer Ron Jones worked on the X100 under lead designer Alex Tremulis (whose earlier work included the ill-fated Tucker 48), and Jones will be at the museum on Saturday for an in-depth presentation on the project. Admission is included with the price of a museum ticket, so come early and peruse the rest of the exhibits, including musician Dan Auerbach’s collection of Harley Davidson motorcycles from 1937-1950 and Eureka!, a group of vehicles that were ahead of their time. 2:15 p.m. at the Lane Motor Museum, 702 Murfreesboro Pike STEPHEN TRAGESER
Ron Jones Discusses the Subaru X100
