NOTE: Bumped for important update below.
The Ford Model T is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and enthusiasts from Southern California and beyond are celebrating with cross-country tours, including one that crosses the nation on Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway National Road, aka U.S. 40.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, members of the Model T Club of Southern California will be making a stop in that southwest Missouri town on May 13 during their Baltimore-to-Los Angeles trek.
The Heart of the Ozarks Chapter of the Model T Club will join up in nearby Conway on May 14 and escort them into Halltown.
The club will stop at the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Motel.
So far, I’ve been unable to track down more information about the Southern California club’s national tour. I’ll pass it along as soon as I find it.
UPDATE: Thanks to Denny Gibson, I was able to track down the tour’s itinerary today.
The Model T group enters Route 66 at St. Louis on Sunday and will stay in town there Monday, too. Here’s the rest of the schedule:
- May 13 — Springfield, Mo.
- May 14 — Morning coffee stop at old gas station (at Gay Parita?), continues on to Tulsa
- May 15 — Oklahoma City
- May 16 — Elk City, Okla.
- May 17 — Amarillo, Texas
- May 18 — Tucumcari, N.M.
- May 19-20 — Santa Fe, N.M.
- May 21 — Albuquerque, N.M.
- May 22 — Gallup, N.M.
- May 23 — Holbrook, Ariz.
- May 24-25 — Williams, Ariz.
- May 26 — Laughlin, Nev.
- May 27 — Farewell dinner in Barstow, Calif.
- May 28 — Los Angeles
The group is staying at Best Westerns at each of the listed cities, except for Gallup (El Rancho Hotel), Williams (Grand Canyon Railway Hotel), Laughlin (Tropicana) and Santa Fe (Garrett Desert Inn).
UPDATE2: The Palladium-Item in Richmond, Ind., has a story about the Model T trek.
FYI: The Model T Club of Southern California will also be making a stop at Afton Station on Wednesday.
When I stopped by to see my name in pixels, I noticed that you accidentally described their path as following Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway. They actually will not be on the Lincoln at all. It’s the National Old Trails Road to St Louis then Route 66 to Santa Fe where Sixty-Six and the NOTR become one and the same.
Thanks for pointing out the error, Denny. It’s fixed now.