KINGMAN – As the nation prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66, stories honoring the “Mother Road” will be shared throughout the year. One of the first major tributes is already underway, and Kingman is among the communities welcoming it.
A caravan organized by America’s Automotive Trust, based in Tacoma, Washington, is traveling the full length of Route 66 — starting at the Santa Monica Pier and heading east to Chicago. The westtoeast direction reverses the famous “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” lyric, but for the trust, the starting point made perfect sense.
Jake Welk, Communications Director for America’s Automotive Trust, said the centennial offered the perfect opportunity to combine the organization’s mission with its longstanding partnership with the Detroit Auto Show.
“This year is significant with Route 66,” Welk said. “We wanted to drive Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago, and then end up in Detroit for the auto show. We’re collecting Route 66 memorabilia along the way, and we’ll have a cool display where people can check out the things we experienced.”
The Detroit Auto Show — considered one of the nation’s “big three” and often ranked as the most influential — will showcase the caravan’s collection later this year. Communities along Route 66, including Kingman, stand to benefit from the increased attention and tourism tied to the centennial.
America’s Automotive Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting the nation’s automotive heritage. It is affiliated with the 300vehicle, 150,000squarefoot LeMay Museum in the Tacoma area. Several museum volunteers and enthusiasts joined the caravan, drawn by the chance to experience the Mother Road during its milestone year.
Volunteer museum docent and mechanic Andy Brastad said the decision to participate was easy.
“I like a good adventure,” he said. “After reading about Route 66 and it being 100 years old, that’s a onceinalifetime opportunity. So, I said, ‘Yep, sign me up.’”
Vehicle restorer Ken Hallis said sharing classic cars with the public is part of the joy of the journey.
“These vehicles aren’t around much anymore,” Hallis said. “Collectors have them, like myself, but I believe in sharing them. It’s exciting for people to come in and really enjoy these types of vehicles.”
Before departing Kingman, the caravan joined members of the Kingman Pharoah Car Club for an impromptu earlymorning car show. From there, the group continued east toward Chicago and will ultimately finish in Detroit, where the memorabilia and stories gathered along Route 66 will be displayed as part of the centennial celebration.
