YAHM’s featured automotive stories are Chevrolet Corvair, Tucker, Hudson, Kaiser-Frazer, and General Motors Hydra-matic; all with Ypsilanti connections. Displays include Motor State which held patents on power convertible tops, the Ford Motor Company Generator Plant, and local car dealerships. As a thriving commercial and manufacturing hub, Ypsilanti had a significant influence on these pioneering companies and the men who built them. The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum preserves an important era in American history. The museum also hosts the National Hudson Motor Car Company Museum.

A featured car in the collection is #92, a 1952 Hudson Hornet race car owned by NASCAR champion Herb Thomas. Thomas drove Hornets to his second National Championship in 1953. All together, Thomas and his Hornets won 43 NASCAR races. Hudson Hornet race cars provided the inspiration for Doc Hudson in the 2006 Pixar film CARS.