HomeNews and EventsLondon’s Regent Street becomes part of Route 66 for a day

London’s Regent Street becomes part of Route 66 for a day

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For the second year in a row, visitors to the Regent Street Motor Show in England will be able to get the kicks on a taste of Route 66 as the Illinois Office of Tourism again showcases America’s most famous highway during the run-up to the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

While Route 66 runs nearly 2,500 miles “from Chicago to LA,” Regent Street is less than a mile in length and will be closed to through traffic November 3 for the motor show, presented by the Royal Automobile Club with sponsorship from the Chicago tourism office.

Filling Regent Street on November 3 will be the pre-1905 cars that the following day will do the London to Brighton rally. Also at the show will be other vintage, classic, racing and concept vehicles.

“Our partnership with this premier motoring event is a fantastic opportunity for our team to showcase both historic and new attractions along the Illinois section of Route 66 – a top destination for international visitors,” said Cory Jobe, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. 

Old Joliet Prison is now a public museum

“From the iconic Route 66 ‘Begin’ sign in Chicago to the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac and the Original Historic Brick Road in Springfield through to The Mill on 66, a cherished restaurant which has recently reopened in Lincoln after more than a decade of renovation – Route 66 provides a chance to travel back in time.”

One of those highlights along the route, the tourism office said, is the Old Joliet Prison, which dates to 1858 and was featured in the movie, The Blues Brothers, and has re-opened as a museum.

As part of its support of the Regent Street show, the Illinois tourism office will award someone attending the show a round-trip for two from London to Chicago.

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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