Now the historic Model T Ford light truck used to promote the iconic brand in the late 1970s and '80s is set to inspire unsuspecting feet moving through Canberra International Airport to tap to the ubiquitous tune.

The airport – a fitting location for the brand – has collaborated with the National Museum of Australia to drive the historic vehicle out of the museum and to the public.

The Aeroplane Jelly truck is set to be the first of a string of pieces from the capital's cultural and historic institutions showcased at the airport.

Airport managing director Stephen Byron was tight-lipped about future displays, but said any artifacts would be Australian, "whether it's the War Memorial, the National Gallery or the Portrait Gallery".

"We're also talking to Questacon about opportunities," he said. "We're looking to work with all the major national institutions to tell part of the story of what are the riches of Canberra and our cultural institutions. Obviously that's part of a tourism strategy to encourage people to come and visit here."

Mr Byron said the Aeroplane Jelly truck would be on display in the airport's departure lounge for at least the next 12 months, creating the engaging contrast of the historic truck set inside a "futuristic" space.

"It's here for visitors to see on arrival and for people leaving the city to take in a little more of the detail," he said.

"This installation, it isn't just the presence of the piece, but it's the explanation of the piece in the context of Australian history and it's telling of the story.

"This truly is an iconic piece of Australian history in terms of the fun of the Aeroplane Jelly truck, but also for it to actually be named after the excitement of aviation … that's still what we're part of – the romance of aviation."

Museum director Mathew Trinca said the airport was a gateway into Canberra, perfect for unlocking the city's collections of art and cultural artifacts.

"I've thought for a long time that Canberra's national collecting institutions represent an extraordinary resource for the city," he said.

"There are wonderful collections held by major institutions, yet we don't do as much as we might to bring them before the public, not just in our own sites but everywhere where people are.

"There is such a traffic through sites like this that we thought, 'That's where we need to be installing a key object, or perhaps more objects over time.' We'd be very keen to bring more to the airport and no doubt this is the start of what I hope will be a very strong relationship between us."

Dr Trinca said the museum had reached an extra 1.24 million people in the previous financial year by touring exhibitions interstate and overseas.

Senior curator Sophie Jensen said the Aeroplane Jelly truck would provide a talking point for people waiting to catch a flight or greet inbound guests.

"It's an immediately attractive object and when you're putting a single object on you want to be able to tell a big story," she said.

"The brand, of course, is using the same jingle today, so it's a story that's kept going. Our hope is we'll keep going with this collaboration [with the airport] and look at different spots where we might be able to do that."