The Drive Home IV: Vintage trucks drive from Troy to Detroit

(WJBK) - It started in Troy, and rolled down to the spirit of Detroit. The Drive Home is part of a cross-country tour of vintage trucks.

It’s ten days and 2,750 miles and you could say it all ends where it all began, in Detroit.     

"The first time the drive home came to Michigan four years ago, I thought, who are these crazy people driving these cars across the country. I have a 1932 Ford I’ve had for 36 years I said when they put the shout out come and meet us at Lincoln and Troy, said I’m going because these are my kind of people,” said Diane Flis-Schneider, Advancement Director, Automotive Trust. 

The event brings together people with a similar love for old cars and trucks.

“If we were driving them, putting them in our garage at night then driving them to work the next day, then putting them in the garage at night, they will deteriorate, but if we drive them for a week in winter conditions and clean them carefully before putting them in COBO Hall then no problem,” classic car adventures Dave Hord said.

Each truck in the caravan undergoes preparations at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma Washington, and that’s where the drive begins

“How can we not just show cars but do something fun that will promote Detroit, that will promote the auto show and promote our museum and the trucks. So we said why don’t we drive across America in the Winter time in classic cars because nobody does that,” David Madeira said, vice chairman of America’s Automotive Trust.

The trip across America from Washington to Detroit included a lot of stops along the way. 

“In years past, we’ve taken a lot of freeways but this year is was all back roads so we went through mainstream America, and we went to diners, we ate in local mom and pop places, we talked to people at gas stations at grain elevators,” Flis-Schneider said.

After the trip down Woodward, the vintage vehicles will be on display at COBO Center for the auto show. This is pretty timely with trucks and SUV’s making a huge comeback. 

They’re more fuel efficient and safe than they were decades ago. But there’s something about nostalgia of the old cars that bring back memories and bring out the passion of the automobile.