Hemmings Daily: Route 66 backers focus on National Historic Trail status as preservation funding program ends

For 20 years, those looking to revitalize Route 66 have relied on a relatively modest trickle of money from Congress to accomplish their goals -- a modest trickle that will soon come to an end. Rather than abandon their efforts, however, Route 66 preservationists intend to take another crack at securing a permanent source of funding by declaring the Mother Road a National Historic Trail. "The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program has been worthwhile, yes, absolutely," said Bill Thomas, the chairman of the Route [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, May 10, 2019 [Route 66 backers focus on National Historic Trail status as preservation funding program ends]( [Route 66 backers focus on National Historic Trail status as preservation funding program ends]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - For 20 years, those looking to revitalize Route 66 have relied on a relatively modest trickle of money from Congress to accomplish their goals -- a modest trickle that will soon come to an end. Rather than abandon their efforts, however, Route 66 preservationists intend to take another crack at securing a permanent source of funding by declaring the Mother Road a National Historic Trail. "The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program has been worthwhile, yes, absolutely," said Bill Thomas, the chairman of the Route ... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 BMW M6]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 BMW M6]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1988 BMW M6, Outstanding condition, 78,xxx miles, BMW CCA member has owned for past four years. Maintenance is current, and most records are available from October 1991 (~12,000 miles) to current. Unmolested, all original example of BMW's Big Coupe (except SLS has been deleted in favor of Bilstein Sport Struts and Shocks, and an after-market radio is installed). 16 BBS Wheels with Bridgestone Potenza 2345/45R16 tires (tires are 5 years old). Everything works. PPI's are welcomed. Cu...[Read More]( [1966 Chevrolet Corvair homecoming - progress, at last]( [1966 Chevrolet Corvair homecoming - progress, at last]( Posted by Don Homuth - Enough about my personal frustration over the Corvair. This is an actual progress report. Much has been done. A bunch of subassemblies, all of which will become important later, now await installation. The entire drivetrain -- engine, differential, and transmission -- has been completely and properly overhauled, tested, and run, and is now awaiting installation. The entire front suspension, right down to the wheel hubs, has been taken apart, new parts installed where required, blasted and repainted, and r...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [How to change a tire. The hard way.]( [How to change a tire. The hard way.]( Posted by Dan Stoner - Neat setup, right? Not with those matching front and rear tires, it's not! This just will not stand...If you've been following along with Hemmings' digital content and stories, you may have spied a particular brown-sugar "dentside" Ford pickup truck making an appearance here and there. As the arbiters of all things Hemmings Green, we're expected to not only know a few things about old cars, but, y'know, own at least one and maybe even drive one, on occasion. And so it is with this 1974 Ford F-350 Super Camper Specia...[Read More]( [VIDEO: When haulers roamed the earth]( [VIDEO: When haulers roamed the earth]( Posted by Dan Stoner - In keeping with the theme this week, we're totally geeking on race car haulers up in here. Whether it's an open trailer, a home-made single-axle, a ramp truck, a flatbed, an enclosed deal, or even pushing it into pits with your buddies, the cult of the hauler is one that we all belong to, one way or another. So, check your bank account, dust off that credit card that was gonna pay for a semester of college dorm rent, and see how long you can last watching this video before you start combing Hemmings.com for your ...[Read More]( [POLL: Which Galaxie - far, far away?]( [POLL: Which Galaxie - far, far away?]( Posted by Dan Stoner - Time for another poll, kids! This week, we've got the legendary and much-pined-for Ford Galaxie on our bent, little minds. And, since we can't leave anything well enough alone, we're thinking about customized Galaxies. And who did it better: in this case, either American Racing or Larry Watson. American Racing used its fairly stock-bodied '63 Galaxie to showcase its new magnesium five-spoke racing wheels, making one of the coolest performance full-bodied Fords ever. EVER. Larry Watson, the famed West Coast cus...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Montreal, 1966]( [Montreal, 1966]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1966 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Source: via The Old Motor What do you see here?...[Read More]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 5/10/1923: GM names Alfred P. Sloan president 5/10/1980: Government gives Chrysler $1.5 billion loan 5/10/2012: Carroll Shelby dies at the age of 89 UPCOMING EVENTS [Cruise Night at TK's Ice Cream]( May 17, 2019 - Cream Ridge, NJ [Sedgwick Street Rodders Annual Spring Swap Meet]( May 17, 2019 - Hutchinson, KS [Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals]( May 17, 2019 - Carlisle, PA [Hoosier Vintage Wheels Swap Meet & Show]( May 17, 2019 - Franklin, IN [Menasha High School car show]( May 17, 2019 - Menasha, WI [Chasing Cars and Vintage Steel]( May 17, 2019 - Dublin, VA [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS [1955 Chevrolet Bel Air]( [1955 Chevrolet Bel Air]( [$59,000]( [1958 Chrysler Windsor]( [1958 Chrysler Windsor]( [$26,500]( [1968 Pontiac GTO]( [1968 Pontiac GTO]( [$42,500]( [1973 Land Rover Series 3]( [1973 Land Rover Series 3]( [$13,900]( [1969 Mercury Cougar XR7]( [1969 Mercury Cougar XR7]( [$54,500]( [1948 Speedliner M-213 Zephyr]( [1948 Speedliner M-213 Zephyr]( [$2,250]( [1959 Edsel Ranger]( [1959 Edsel Ranger]( [$25,000]( [1968 Dodge Polara]( [1968 Dodge Polara]( [$16,000]( PROMOTED LISTING [2012 Morgan Three-Wheeler]( [2012 Morgan Three-Wheeler]( [$33,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1970 Jaguar E-Type]( [1970 Jaguar E-Type]( [$101,400]( PROMOTED LISTING [1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II]( [1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II]( [$59,900]( [Edelbrock 4-2 w/ 4 Stromberg 97 for 32-48 Flathead]( [Edelbrock 4-2 w/ 4 Stromberg 97 for 32-48 Flathead]( [$5,200]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [Magic Wagons and Minivans: How Chrysler succeeded in downsizing the family van]( [Magic Wagons and Minivans: How Chrysler succeeded in downsizing the family van]( [Forgotten TDX coupe showed a frameless fiberglassed future]( [Forgotten TDX coupe showed a frameless fiberglassed future]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, May 9, 2019 [A sports car classic turns 50: Remembering Triumph's TR6]( [A sports car classic turns 50: Remembering Triumph's TR6]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - To be clear, the Triumph TR6 -- which debuted in late 1968 as a 1969 model -- was not in any way groundbreaking or revolutionary. While its bodywork was (mostly) new, its frame, suspension, and engine carried over from earlier Triumph models, yet the TR6 remained in production longer than any other Triumph two-seater it evolved from. (The Spitfire, produced from 1962-1980, was the longest-production Triumph sports car.) Fifty years later, the TR6 remains an iconic and desirable British sports car, blessed with a sur...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1946 Dodge DD4]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1946 Dodge DD4]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Shorty 1946 Dodge DD4 2-ton truck for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This 1946 Dodge DD-4 2-Ton dually truck is about as unique as they come. Oversized in every way, it draws attention wherever it goes. Makes young and old alike smile from ear to ear. Atlas starts easily, runs perfectly, and drives surprisingly well for a 73-year-old truck. The body, frame, engine, and transmission are all believed to be original to the truck, with the exception of the passenger door, which was replaced ...[Read More]( [Ford GT40 and Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster share Best of Show at Keels & Wheels]( [Ford GT40 and Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster share Best of Show at Keels & Wheels]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Ford's GT40 is best known for its victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 to '69, but to qualify as a racing car, a certain quantity of road-going GT40s needed to be produced. A total of 31 "road coupes" were built, including chassis P/1062, which last weekend earned a victory of a different sort -- Best of Show American at the 2019 Keels & Wheels Concours d'Elegance in Seabrook, Texas, an honor it shared with a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster, named Best of Show European. 1936 Mercedes-Be...[Read More]( [Open Diff - What does it matter how many license plates you have on your car?]( [Open Diff - What does it matter how many license plates you have on your car?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - My native land, Ohio, has eliminated the requirement to have a front license plate as well as a rear plate. Good for you, Buckeyes, I guess. Now tell me why? The push for single license plates seems to take up an inordinate amount of resources. A quick review of SEMA alerts shows that at least 10 states in addition to Ohio have considered some sort of legislation to address the issue this year, and it seems to be a perennial topic. SEMA's notices offer one defense of the single license plate, noting that it "p...[Read More]( [Seattle, 1976]( [Seattle, 1976]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: June 1976 Location: Interstate 5, Seattle, Washington Source: Werner Leggenhager, via Seattle Public Library Special Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, May 8, 2019 [Richard Sias's 1968 Dodge Charger design both defined and ended his career at Chrysler]( [Richard Sias's 1968 Dodge Charger design both defined and ended his career at Chrysler]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Richard Sias should, by many of his contemporaries' accounts, be as widely hailed an automotive designer today as any of those contemporaries themselves. Instead, he exited the auto design world not long after getting bypassed for recognition for his work on the 1968 Dodge Charger, a design that has since become one of the most iconic of the muscle car era. The design of the Coke-bottle Charger, Sias always maintained, wasn't his alone, rather that of a team that he led. However, he didn't come to lead that team ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1999 Xanthos 23]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1999 Xanthos 23]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Unfinished 1999 Xanthos 23 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: faithful Lotus 23 replica rolling chassis with modern Honda B18C1 engine. Comes with engine computer and wiring harnesses, KCR VW 5 speed transmission with torque sensing differential, adapter plate, flywheel, clutch, wobbly-web wheels, tires, custom engine mounts, custom exhaust, etc. Should be almost all parts needed to complete. You can also use a Lotus Twincam, Kent 1600, etc. Since they were a maker of replacement chassis, susp...[Read More]( [Twenty-five years ago, Oldsmobile pinned its hopes on the Aurora]( [Twenty-five years ago, Oldsmobile pinned its hopes on the Aurora]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - As the 1990s dawned, Oldsmobile - then America's oldest automotive brand was in crisis. Sales were declining, its buyers were aging, and new luxury import brands threatened the division's very existence. In response, Oldsmobile developed a halo car the Aurora meant to reverse its fortune and steer the brand into the 21st century. A quarter-century after the Aurora's debut and 15 years after Oldsmobile's demise - here's a look at the car that once carried the hopes of a division on its shoulders. F...[Read More]( [In praise of the Allard Atom, the world's smallest race car]( [In praise of the Allard Atom, the world's smallest race car]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - If you need any further proof that we're living in the wrong timeline, then consider this: Allard - maker of monstrous British sports cars powered by American V-8s - only built two Allard Atoms instead of entire fleets to swarm city streets around the world. What's more, they never even turned a wheel in anger like they were intended. The story of the Allard Atom, as Tom Lush told it in "Allard, the Inside Story," starts with Ronnie Greene, the manager of the Wimbledon Speedway, a motorcycle track in southwest Lo...[Read More]( [Atlanta, 1982]( [Atlanta, 1982]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: February 1982 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Source: Cheryl Bray, via Georgia State University Libraries Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, May 7, 2019 [The Sporting Pedigree, 1919-2019: Bentley Motors celebrates its centenary]( [The Sporting Pedigree, 1919-2019: Bentley Motors celebrates its centenary]( Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Images are courtesy of Bentley Media and from the Hemmings archives OnJuly 10, Bentley Motors Ltd. will officially be 100 years old. While its first production model didn't arrive until 1921, this beloved British marque -since 1998 a property of Germany's Volkswagen- has been celebrating this anniversary in small and large ways beginningJuly of last year. Walter Owen ("W.O.") Bentleywas an enthusiastic motorsports competitor from his youth, and the aluminum alloy pistons he designed gained wide accep...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1951 Pontiac Eight sedan delivery]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1951 Pontiac Eight sedan delivery]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1951 Pontiac Sedan Delivery: One of the rarest early 1950's Pontiacs extant. Only 1,382 units built in 1951 model year. Massive straight eight engine rebuilt in 2000 at 00223 miles showing on the odometer. Less than 250 miles on rebuilt engine in the last 19 years! I am not sure of the original mileage but the odometer currently shows 00471 miles. I purchased the car from an owner in New York who owned a body shop. I rate this car as an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being concourse cond...[Read More]( [Swarm of Beetles from one of the world's largest private Volkswagen collections put up for sale]( [Swarm of Beetles from one of the world's largest private Volkswagen collections put up for sale]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - As a young salesman at the local Volkswagen dealership, Norman Gonzalez started socking away used Beetles as early as 1958, cherrypicking among the trade-ins that came through the dealership's doors. While he eventually left the dealership for a career in naturopathy, his Volkswagen habit mushroomed into a 160-plus-vehicle collection that he's now decided to sell off one at a time. "For a while, he was trying to find somebody to buy the whole collection and keep it going," said Randy Carlson, who's representing G...[Read More]( [Four-Digit Finds, May 2019 edition]( [Four-Digit Finds, May 2019 edition]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Watch any televised auction coverage or read recaps of the big-name sales these days, and its easy to believe that collector cars are priced beyond the means of the average hobbyist. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in an era where the average new car (sorry, "light vehicle") is priced at $36,843, there are plenty of interesting drivers to be had for under $10,000 - hence, our new "Four-Digit Finds" series. We're not saying this feature will replace the original $5,000 Challenge, but cars in that pr...[Read More]( [Muncie, Indiana, 1967]( [Muncie, Indiana, 1967]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1967 Location: Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana Source: Ball State University Digital Media Repository What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, May 6, 2019 [No, Talbot didn't build cars in the Nineties. Yes, it did build campervans]( [No, Talbot didn't build cars in the Nineties. Yes, it did build campervans]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Automakers can get into some unexpected business models once they leave their original niches. Some become breweries while others go on to real estate ventures. Talbot, the venerated French builder of luxury and sports cars, squeaked its way into the Nineties by slapping its nameplate onto utility vans and campervans, one of which will head to auction next month. The French Talbot (not to be confused with the British Talbot, despite their similar origins and fates) dates back to the first Darracqs of 1896, though...[Read More]( [HemmingsFind of the Day - 1975 Chevrolet Corvette]( [HemmingsFind of the Day - 1975 Chevrolet Corvette]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Unrestored, 29,000-mile 1975 Chevrolet Corvette for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This is a very original, highly documented and unrestored car with ownership history dating back to its delivery date in 1974. It has 28,980 original miles documented by service and inspection receipts over the course of its life. This car was delivered to Pearl Motor Company located in Mexico, Missouri and sold to the first owner on Nov 26, 1974. One year later it was sold to the second owner who had it for ...[Read More]( [You may be cool, but are you 'Studebaker Cool?']( [You may be cool, but are you 'Studebaker Cool?']( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From its start as a manufacturer of horse-drawn wagons to its demise as an independent automaker competing head-to-head with Detroit's Big Three, Studebaker enjoyed over a century of success. Opening on May 18 at the AACA Museum Inc. in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Studebaker Cool: 114 Years of Innovation narrates the history of the imaginative brand with a display of over 40 vehicles, focusing primarily on the years between 1906 and the end of automobile production in 1966. Among the vehicles scheduled for display i...[Read More]( [Lola, Chevrolet and Hendrick - Corvette becomes a mid-engine IMSA GTP car]( [Lola, Chevrolet and Hendrick - Corvette becomes a mid-engine IMSA GTP car]( Posted by Matt Litwin - Although it bore almost no relationship to the road-going car, the Corvette GTP of 1984-1988 certainly saw a lot of racing and bore the Corvette name with pride. The GTP Corvette was borne in an effort to raise the Corvette's profile in the public's eye by taking part in the burgeoning IMSA GTP race series, which had begun in 1981 with the Lola T600, driven by Brian Redman, winning the Camel GT Championship. Observing the success of their T600, Lola designed two all-new "customer" GTP cars, known inte...[Read More]( [Boston, 1950s]( [Boston, 1950s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1950s Location: Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts Source: Nishan Bichajian, via MIT-Libraries on Flickr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, May 5, 2019 [A sporting loss that was felt worldwide: The magnitude of Ayrton Senna's death]( [A sporting loss that was felt worldwide: The magnitude of Ayrton Senna's death]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - This past week marked the 25th anniversary of three-time F1 champ Ayrton Senna's death at the San Marino Grand Prix, an event that left the motorsports world shattered, as this BBC documentary from a year after his death examines. Rather than rehash the accident, the documentary explores what set Senna apart from his competitors and what defined his racing genius. ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1952 Willys Aero Ace]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1952 Willys Aero Ace]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Restored 1952 Willys Aero Ace for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Restored in 2005. Bare metal respray. Interior replaced at the same time. Good running original engine and smooth shifting transmission. Brakes pull the car up squarely. Vehicle was rewired. Still 6 volt electrics but with 8 volt battery for easy starting. Car has had very little use since restoration. Original vin tag reads 652 MAI 16957, Body tag reads: Style 685 CUST, Body # 23227, Trim 44, Paint 64 72. I believe the colors th...[Read More]( [Four-Links - Armenian dreams, dream Packards, Honda at Isle of Man, Pittsburgh's auto row]( [Four-Links - Armenian dreams, dream Packards, Honda at Isle of Man, Pittsburgh's auto row]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photographer Lilia Li-Mi-Yan spent about a week in Armenia a few years back documenting Armenians' love of their ErAZ vans, vans whose names resemble the Armenian word for "dream." Built to resist, they can carry up to 3 tonnes of cargo and are mainly used to transport construction material. I have seen owners of ErAZes pass away, but the vehicles are still up and running and have been handed down to their children, says Lilia Li-Mi-Yan. Intrigued by the tender way in which the owners talked about their va...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 AMC Javelin SST]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 AMC Javelin SST]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Solid 1970 AMC Javelin SST for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Ram Air, original Donahue spoiler, 360 CI, Auto Trans, A/C, Power brakes, Disc front brakes, Power steering, AM/FM radio. Solid tight complete vehicle. I had great plans but upcomming move out of state forces me to sell. I have had many Javelins throughout the years and the 1970 is by far the best. This car does come with the owner Identification card that reads its originally from Sepulveda California. I do not know the complete hi...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Oldest surviving production Corvette chassis donated to National Corvette Museum]( [Oldest surviving production Corvette chassis donated to National Corvette Museum]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Of the three cars in those famous June 1953 photographs of the first Corvettes coming off the Flint, Michigan, assembly line, only one still exists. But it now exists as two separate cars. But one of the two cars is only half of a car. But it still carries enough unique history to warrant its recent donation to the National Corvette Museum, where it's since been installed as one of the museum's crown jewels. "This is the oldest surviving production Corvette chassis," said Derek Moore, the curator for the museum. ...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Best-selling American convertibles: The drop-top automobiles that Americans bought the most of]( [Best-selling American convertibles: The drop-top automobiles that Americans bought the most of]( Posted by Richard Lentinello - During the late 1940s and through to the mid-1960s, sales of convertibles were robust; they seem to have reached their zenith in the years immediately after the War when American optimism was at its peak. So, which were the bestselling American-made automobiles of the post-World War II era? Broken down by brand, each auto manufacturer's convertible topseller along with their second and third bestselling models are detailed here and in the order of the convertible model that sold the most. For some manufacturers...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.