Dozens of classic cars will be cruising around eastern Iowa in a long line over the next few days. The 16th annual Motor Memories Tour features about 60 vehicles that are all at least 25 years old, including a few that date back to the 1930s. Tour organizer John Swanson says the day-trips will all originate in Cedar Rapids and visit various regional attractions.
He says the daily tours should each be under 100 miles total as they’re all “one tank trips” to go easy on the fuel budget. One of the trips will focus on exploring the world of Grant Wood, including stops to see the Wood collection at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the studio where he painted “American Gothic,” and a scenic drive across the Jones County landscape which Wood captured on canvas.
Swanson says a wide array of shiny cars will be tooling along the Iowa buyways in a caravan. There will be a 1937 Hudson Terraplane, a 1941 Packard, a number of muscle cars, Chryslers, DeSotos, a 1951 Kaiser — “just a real mix of vehicles.” Swanson and his wife will be taking part in the tour in a 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto. He says the format of this series it what sets it apart.
“So many other groups are focused on one vehicle, it might be a Corvette or a Model A Ford or Mustangs, but ours is very unique in the sense it’s open to any registered, licensed vehicle that’s street legal and also insured.” Other activities on the tour include: a look at Amish life in the Kalona region, saluting the Lincoln Highway in Benton County, a reception at Duffy’s Collectible Car’s in Cedar Rapids and a Czechoslovakian dinner at historic St. Wenceslaus Church, restored to its pre-flood beauty.
The tour runs today through Sunday. For details, visit: www.motormemories.com
