AUTO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY MARKED.

Byline: Jerry Morris Boston Globe

What's the No. 1 way to travel? It's the automobile, and with this being the 100th anniversary of the American automobile industry, there's no better year to include some auto sightseeing in your vacation plans.

While most people think of Detroit as the birthplace of the auto, Massachusetts is not only where the first production run of cars took place but also where many nameplates long forgotten were produced. However, if you want to see the 1896 Duryea Motor Wagon, the sole surviving example of the 13 cars created by Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea in Springfield, you'll have to travel to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.

The Ford Museum is more than a showcase of cars - all makes, not just Henry's; its exhibit, ``100 Years of the Automobile in American Life'' includes displays that show how the auto changed the way we live.

``Cars are responsible for the existence of everything from fast-food restaurants to motels,'' said Bob Casey, the museum's curator of transportation. ``Things like gas pumps, service stations, drive-in movies and campgrounds have been a part of the American scene for so long, we tend to forget that the automobile gave those industries their start.''

The exhibit includes an actual 1960s' Holiday Inn room, 1930s' Texaco service station, 1940s' diner, 1950s' McDonald's neon sign and even a re-created campground.

Also on view will be a Quadricycle built in a shed behind Ford's Detroit home in 1896. While Ford didn't begin the auto industry, he certainly put the world on wheels with the introduction of the Model T in 1908. The Model T is said to have changed America's rural lifestyle, linking small towns and cities. One famous story is of a farm family that had no bathtub, but did own a Model T. When asked why, the woman of the house replied, ``You can't go to town in a bathtub.''

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village will have many events throughout the year, from car rallies to old-car festivals. For information on happenings, call [phone] or [phone].

Detroit also is celebrating its role in the auto revolution and is promoting itself as America's newest comeback city, with a rejuvenated theater district and more. Among the sights to catch in the area are the palatial estates of the early auto barons, including Henry Ford's Fairlane with 56 rooms; Edsel Ford's 60-room estate, Meadow Brook Hall; the 107-room estate of John Dodge; and the Fisher Mansion, home of Cadillac's first president and the founder of the Fisher Body Co. For information on Detroit, call [phone].

Another way to discover America's rich auto history is to visit one of the many other museums devoted to cars. The Frick Art and Historical Center in Pittsburgh is adding to its carriage museum. The museum that now houses 15 vintage autos will expand its collection to stress early autos with a connection to Pittsburgh. For information, call [phone].

In Kentucky, there are two interesting museums. At Bowling Green, you can take in the National Corvette Museum, and in Louisville, the Automotive Museum, which includes a restored 1923 car dealership.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO The 1896 Duryea Motor Wagon, the last of 13 remaining, is in t he Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.