Those touring the Scripps Mansion this weekend will stumble upon a small room that houses both art and a car.
The work of James Scripps Booth (1888-1954) holds extra significance, as he is the nephew of William E. Scripps.
James, an artist, self-taught engineer, auto designer and author, won several exhibit prizes at the Detroit Art Museum (now the DIA).
His favorite painting, and other selected works, will share space with his 1930 Da Vinci Pup Cycle Car.
‘He considered this car to be his masterpiece,? said Leslie Pielack of the Orion Historical Society.
The car was the last designed and made by James Scripps Booth, who co-founded the Scripps-Booth Company with his uncle (who was of similar age).
Their well-known luxury cars were popular with European royalty, and General Motors eventually absorbed their company.
Over 34,000 Scripps-Booth cars were produced from 1913-23.
The Da Vinci Pup was hand-built for James? personal use, with its aluminum over wood body weighing 1,250 pounds.
The car features an airplane-like cockpit and was capable of speeds reaching 90 miles-per-hour.
More about the Da Vinci Pup and the Scripps-Booth company will be available during tours of the mansion this weekend.
The car was previously housed at the Gilmore Museum in Kalamazoo and is on loan from the Detroit Historical Museum.
Pielack said the car will be at the mansion for the next year and the loan is renewable after that.
She gave special thanks to Scripps Days Planning Committee member Neal Porter, for transporting the car to the mansion.