A look back at last winter’s Drive Home II

Still image from video below.

Last December, three classic cars (four, counting a 1917 Crane Simplex once owned by J.D. Rockefeller that was trailered for most of the route) left on 12-day, 2,150-mile odyssey from Boston, Massachusetts to Detroit, Michigan, following a rather circuitous route. Titled The Drive Home II, the trip was detailed in daily installments by participant and frequent Hemmings Daily contributor Bill Hall. Ordinarily, we would revisit such a story, but sponsor and car owner the LeMay Museum recently published an impressive video, produced by Derek Klein Films, recapping the trip and its importance to the collector car hobby.

As with the original Drive Home, which took place in 2015-’16 and ran from Tacoma, Washington to Detroit, this version included the same trio of classic cars: a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad, a 1961 Chrysler 300 G, and a 1966 Ford Mustang.  Unlike the original expedition, this year’s run was anything but trouble-free, with mechanical mishaps that included a mid-town Manhattan transmission failure and a snapped rear axle, both of which could have had disastrous consequences (but, luckily, did not). Weather became a factor, too, but not until late in the trip, departing Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bill’s pieces on The Drive Home and The Drive Home II have split readers into two camps: One believes driving classic cars on salted and slippery roads risks their destruction, while the other believes that cars, even classic cars, were meant to be driven. The Le May Museum is of the latter opinion, and its efforts to bring car hobbyists out of winter hibernation are clearly demonstrated in this video. The purpose trip of the trip, according to Le May CEO David Madeira, is to promote America’s love affair with the car.

As Bill points out, the Great American Road Trip is at risk of extinction, and Detroit’s focus on technology and autonomous cars may only hasten its demise. It’s important, in his words, “to get out and drive for the sake of driving.” Whether we agree on the vehicles or seasons selected, this is a concept we can all embrace.