Press advisory
Sept. 3, 2025
The Utah Historical Society announces its largest artifact for display in the Museum of Utah — the iconic Mormon Meteor III land speed racer. The custom-built vehicle, commissioned in 1937 by Ab Jenkins, will be featured in the “Inspiring Utah” gallery when the museum opens to the public on June 27, 2026.
Also on display in other permanent galleries:
- Artifacts from the Topaz Internment Campsite, including an abacus and a baseball glove;
- A 1950s-style cowboy outfit worn by the character of Marty McFly from the Utah-filmed movie, “Back to the Future III”;
- A pennant representing one of the 116 Civilian Conservation Corps voluntary work camps that operated in the state during World War II; and
- A telescope that surveyor Orson Pratt used to guide the vanguard pioneer company of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the Salt Lake Valley.
Auto engineer Augie Duesenberg was commissioned by Ab Jenkins in 1937 to build the Mormon Meteor III, in collaboration with his then-teenage son, Marv Jenkins. It was custom-engineered to hold a Curtiss Conqueror airplane engine, with maneuverability for endurance record runs. The car made its public debut on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1939. Shortly after, Jenkins became mayor of Salt Lake City.
“The Museum of Utah team has been partnering with community members for years to create a space that will reflect the history, art, and culture of our state. We are thrilled to secure this incredible piece of history on behalf of the people of Utah, and we’re looking forward to sharing other amazing pieces from Utah history when the museum opens next year.”
— Tim Glenn, Museum of Utah Director
Generations of Utahns remember the car from its display at the Utah State Capitol from the 1940s through the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Marv Jenkins reclaimed the car and meticulously restored it. “All my dad ever wanted was for people, especially the kids, to see the car,” Marv Jenkins told the Deseret News in 2000.
After its restoration, Marv Jenkins sold the car to John Price, a Utah businessman and former ambassador who is chairman of the Price Museum of Speed. It’s considered the most important car in Utah history, according to Jim Williams, the curator of the Price Museum, where the car has been showcased.
“This car could have found a home anywhere in the world, and we’re thrilled that it will be staying here in Utah. We hope having the Mormon Meteor III on display at the Museum of Utah will help more people connect with this piece of our state’s history.”
— John Price, Chairman of the Price Museum of Speed
In addition to Inspiring Utah, the museum’s other permanent galleries are: Becoming Utah, Building Utah, and Connecting Utah. Within these galleries, significant artifacts, important to the state’s history and culture that have rarely been seen by the public, will be spotlighted. Some of these artifacts include: Utah’s first flag; a pioneer handcart; and one of the first canoes to be used in commercial river running, owned by river runner Dave Rust.
To schedule interviews, text or call Ellen Weist at 503-490-4806.
About the Museum of Utah
As Utah’s first dedicated state history museum, the Museum of Utah operates under the Utah Historical Society, which fosters curiosity about the past, informs the present, and strengthens our shared future. Learn more at history.utah.gov/museum.
