Unconventional winter road trip becomes a classic
Displaying a classic car that is dirty is generally taboo. But when a vintage vehicle is covered in filth that's been accumulated over hundreds of miles on a journey across America — in the dead of winter — well, not only is it impressive, it's a badge of honor.
That's why when a trio of iconic American-made machines rolled into town last week while on such a grand trip, the drivers weren't embarrassed to have them shown in all their grimy glory.
From a simply pragmatic standpoint, there just wasn't time for a proper detail. The threesome is cannonballing across our great nation and stopping along the way to spread the joy about classic motoring.
The idea, called “The Drive Home,” comes from a former Wheaton resident David Madiera, who left the suburbs in 2002 to take on the role of CEO for the LeMay — America's Car Museum, in Tacoma, Washington.
Madiera is a creative and passionate auto enthusiast who hates to see vehicles sit idle, even in a museum setting.
“People think of museums as stagnant places where things stay put,” Madiera said. “But when it comes to cars, they were designed to run and be in motion. The more they drive, the better they perform.”
In 2014, the plan was hatched to collaborate with the North American International Auto Show in Detroit by driving three vehicles from the museum's collection all the way to the Motor City.
“We wanted to call attention to the museum, the auto show and, most importantly, promote enthusiasm for the vintage car culture,” Madiera said.
The vehicles selected include a model from each of the Big Three American auto manufacturers, which were on display at LeMay up until a few weeks ago. They are a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad, a 1961 Chrysler 300G and a 1966 Ford Mustang.
“Together they represent the time period when Detroit was at the top of the automotive production industry,” Madiera said. In addition to the cars, caravan drivers are a team of volunteers and museum staff.
After leaving Tacoma on Dec. 27, the classic convoy made promotional stops in such places as Boise, Idaho; Grand Junction, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; before rolling into the Windy City Tuesday night.
They cars were on display for a special event at the Collector's Car Garage on the northwest side of the city, where area residents had a chance to see them up close and hear tales from the road.
The program also included comments from several scholarship and grant recipients benefiting from the Hagerty Education Program, which is aimed at helping younger generations get involved in auto repair and the classic car industry.
After a brief appearance at a Shell station near the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg on Wednesday morning, the trio was off again. They'll be stopping for additional events in Michigan before pulling into Detroit and ending this 2,900-mile excursion.
The vehicles will be displayed in the Cobo Convention Center just in time for the start of the Detroit auto show, where they'll remind all that perhaps the best part of owning a car, whether new or old, is the time spent driving it.