The LeMay’s 1966 Ford Mustang. Photos courtesy LeMay – America’s Car Museum.
To classic car enthusiasts, a 2,400 mile trek in a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad, a 1961 Chrysler 300G or a 1966 Ford Mustang is the stuff dreams are made of. Make that trek from Tacoma, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, in the dead of winter, and those dreams grow dark and cold for all but the most intrepid. On December 27 the above three cars will depart from The LeMay – America’s Car Museum, heading east to arrive in Detroit on January 7, 2016, in time for the 2016 North American International Auto Show, in an event that the museum is calling “The Drive Home.”
The idea came from a discussion between LeMay president and CEO David Madeira and Rod Alberts, executive director of the North American International Auto Show. Both were looking for ways to promote their respective businesses, centered on the American love of automobiles. A trek from the museum to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, using classic American cars, seemed a logical, if extreme, way to accomplish this common goal.
Recognizing that late December is not an ideal time of year to make such a journey, especially in a valuable classic car, David tells us that the route will stick primarily to Interstate highways. Proposed stops include Portland, Oregon; Bend, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; McPherson, Kansas (home of McPherson College); Kansas City, Kansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Bloomington, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; Birmingham; Michigan; and Detroit, Michigan. The museum is in the process of planning events at key stops to involve the enthusiast community, but much of the journey may prove to be weather-dependent.
The museum is actively recruiting sponsors, and to date both State Farm and Michelin have offered support. Michelin will provide contemporary winter tires for the Nomad, Chrysler and Mustang, which should ensure that the cars are safe to drive in nearly all conditions. David is scheduled to drive one car, while Keith Flickinger, president of Precision Motor Cars in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and curator of the Nicola Bulgari automobile collection, is confirmed to drive a second. The third seat remains open, potentially available to media or to a sponsor willing to fund a significant portion of the trip.
1957 Chevrolet Nomad.
Plans also call for the museum’s Ford F-150, towing a trailer, to serve as a support and recovery vehicle, should a breakdown occur along the way. David is negotiating with automakers to borrow a press fleet SUV or two for the trip, which would be offered to media or to museum staffers involved in the town-to-town advance set up.
Detractors will point out that driving collector cars on potentially salt-covered roads isn’t the best way to preserve them, but David has a different perspective. “We aren’t risking one-of-a-kind rarities,” he told us, “and cars are meant to be driven. We’ll protect the rocker panels and other key areas as best we can, and will regularly wash the cars en route.” The LeMay doesn’t want to be seen as just another car museum, and the trip will serve to illustrate this point.
If all goes as planned, the cars will reach Detroit on the Thursday before the 2016 North American International Auto Show begins, in time for the venue’s press days. What better way could there be to promote a Detroit show than with half-century old Detroit iron, driven cross-country in the midst of winter?
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