Some might think that exposing classic cars to winter weather is foolish. But back before they were classics, such cars were daily drivers carrying their occupants to work, to school, to wherever they needed to go, 24/7 and 365.
For the third year in a row, America’s Automotive Trust, via the LeMay — America’s Car Museum, and the North American International Auto Show will join forces to show that vintage vehicles still can take on winter road conditions as they stage “The Drive Home III: Driving The Future,” a 10-day road rally.
The first such event involved three vehicles — a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad, a 1961 Chrysler 300G, and a 1966 Ford Mustang — being driven from the museum in Tacoma, Washington, to the auto show in downtown Detroit. Last winter the same cars took part, but their route began in Boston.
This winter — from January 3-12 — the route starts in Miami and works its way north to the show.
“To keep things fresh, TDH III will feature a set of muscle cars from America’s Car Museum as well as a motorcycle, sports car, resto-rod, and even modern ‘green’ vehicles to tell the story of automotive innovation and competition,” organizers said in their news release.
“The Drive Home is truly a fantastic way to lead into the North American International Auto Show as we connect with automotive enthusiasts across the journey to Detroit,” added Rod Alberts, the Detroit show chairman. “Much like NAIAS, we continue to add new elements and partners to the road rally that keeps it exciting and engaging.”
It was Alberts and the LeMay’s David Madeira who launched the drive home event one evening over scotch and cigars.
“We thought it was a great idea to put vintage cars out on the road in the dead of winter – after all, it’s simply something you don’t see every day,” Madeira said.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive – the cars bring out feelings of nostalgia, not only in car lovers but everyday people. I’ll never forget how a string of misfortune could have ended the run to Detroit last year, but the community rallied behind us and were instrumental in finding rare parts and getting us on back on the road.”
