SALT LAKE CITY — We are just under a year away from the opening day for the brand new Museum of Utah at the State Capitol, as work is underway.
“This has been a conversation 100 years in the making.” Jennifer Ortiz, the Director of the Utah Historical Society, says, “We have had a collection for over 100 years, but have never had an opportunity to actually showcase what we have on display.”
But across town at the Price Museum of Speed on 600s, some of the items are getting ready for their big debut.
From things found at the Topaz Internment Camp, to the telescope used to survey the Salt Lake Valley, to a CCC pendant, to the iconic Marty McFly costume, it’s all taking shape. But there’s one bit of Utah that will take you back in time in a different way, as the recently announced crown jewel of the collection.
Ortiz said, “It’s a car that so many people know and love and remember from their childhood.”
The Mormon Meteor III is about as iconic as you can get since it's essentially the car that started the idea of salt flat racing.
For decades, it had been on display in the Capitol, leading many across the state to gravitate toward it for years.
Tim Glenn, the Director of the new Museum of Utah, said, “AB Jenkins was this sort of adventure seeker kind of kid. He’s this young guy who goes out on the salt flats and says, Hey, I could actually race here instead of on some wood decks out in Indianapolis, right?”
AB Jenkins was the mastermind behind the car. After a previous version of the vehicle hadn’t reached quite the speed they wanted, they swapped the Mormon Meteor II’s airplane engine into the Mormon Meteor III, and AB Jenkins was written into the history books.
Following his fame from the car, Glenn said, “He became the mayor of Salt Lake City, and he became sort of this world-renowned figure because of its iconic nature. He puts it in the Capitol, sells it to the state for $1, and that’s where it sits.” In the 80s, the car had seen better days, so in need of restoration, it was taken out of the Capitol and hasn’t been on public display ever since.
Today, the car rests at the Price Museum of Speed, but Glenn explained, “We did tons of community outreach, and one of the first things that comes up is this car.”
Ortiz added, “It’s something that is unique to Utah, and is almost indescribable.”
For Glenn and Ortiz, it was just one of those items that felt like it needed to be there in the museum, and in fact, as Ortiz said, “We have built a whole gallery around the Mormon Meteor.” Glenn added, “So I think of it kind of like the Mona Lisa. Like you’re gonna go to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, you’re gonna come to the Museum of Utah to see this car.”
And while its tires are just worn rubber, and its body is just sheet metal held together by rivets and ingenuity, Ortiz noted, “The objects that are behind me are just things, until you actually tell the story.”
It’s the story of Utah, wrapped in a bright orange and blue package.
The Museum of Utah is set to open in the Summer of 2026. To find out more, click here.
