The Alabama duo who drove Route 66 in a compressed natural gas-powered 1966 Pontiac GTO extended the journey to the nation’s capital today, according to the Birmingham (Ala.) News.
U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., got the treat of driving the car briefly to the U.S. Capitol.
The Detroit classic rumbled up Independence Avenue and rolled across the House side of the plaza at the foot of the Capitol steps, which made for a great photo opportunity, but there was also a purpose. […]
The car emits 80 percent less carbon monoxide than it’s gasoline-powered counterparts, and it’s fuel is all-American, [Mark] McConville said.
“It’s about the cleanest muscle car out there,” he said.
According to the report, the car attracted quite a few gawkers, including a Capitol Police officer who exclaimed, “That is awesome!”
UPDATE: In a news release from Bachus’ office:
“Mark McConville and Keith Barfield left a lasting impression all along Route 66 with their car and their message about alternative fuels. It’s fascinating to see how an old ‘muscle car’ can be converted into a clean-burning, low emissions vehicle. This shows that we can solve our energy challenges using American technology and ingenuity. It brought great publicity to Alabama here at the Capitol and the only other thing we needed driving it around was an eight-track tape of Little GTO,” said Congressman Bachus. […]
“We wanted to bring awareness about natural gas as a fuel and show there needs to be more refueling infrastructure in our country. Natural gas works as a fuel and the fact that we did it with an old car shows it’s relatively easy to convert,” McConville said.
Here’s a video from the day:
UPDATE2: The Associated Press on Thursday mentioned McConville and his Route 66 trip in a story Thursday about the Obama administrtion’s push for the use of alternative energy in cars.