The state of Illinois now is selling a Route 66 license plate made specially for motorcycles. Revenues from the new plate go to the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byways fund, which helps preserve and promote the old road in the Land of Lincoln. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation for the plate during an August ceremony … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 motorcycle license plate goes on sale
Category: Vehicles
Arizona unveils Route 66 license plate
Starting tomorrow, the state of Arizona will begin selling an Arizona Route 66 license plate. Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division on Monday will take orders for the plates at this website. Specialty plates typically cost $25 a year, or $50 for a personalized one. Of that, $17 goes to the benefiting organization, which will … Continue reading Arizona unveils Route 66 license plate
Book review: “Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip”
It's a book I'm a bit surprised hasn't been done before -- a few chums travel down Route 66 searching for "barn finds" of classic cars. In case you're not familiar with the term, "barn find" is a long-neglected classic car or motorcycle discovered stored in outbuildings or barns. Many of these vehicles are rare or … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip”
Construction of Barstow Route 66 signs to begin next month
Construction of eight classic-car-themed Route 66 signs will begin within the next two weeks in Barstow, California. The Desert Dispatch newspaper reported the signs will place vehicles popular on Route 66 during the 1950s through the 1970s on a masonry base. The seven-foot-tall signs will light at night, using solar energy. The newspaper reported: "We are hoping that this … Continue reading Construction of Barstow Route 66 signs to begin next month
Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”
This isn't a Route 66 nostalgia book. "Route 66: A Trail of Tears" (514 pages, soft cover, self-published) offers vivid evidence why some people regarded the highway with anguish and dread during its heyday. Historian Barry Duncan compiled hundreds of black-and-white photographs of accidents along a stretch of the Mother Road in southwest Missouri from the 1950s to the 1970s. The … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”
The early history of Cadillac Ranch
The Artsy website posted a well-researched article of how the Cadillac Ranch art installation in Amarillo, Texas, came to be, including vintage photos of it being built. Cadillac Ranch turned into a roadside icon -- including for Route 66 travelers -- in the four decades since local tycoon Stanley Marsh 3 commissioned it from the Ant Farm … Continue reading The early history of Cadillac Ranch
Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
The 66-foot-tall giant gas pump planned for the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. is close to being finished. The skeleton of the giant gasoline pump is shown above. Below is about it should look like when it's finished. According to a news release from the museum: The frame of the large structure has … Continue reading Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
Tow Tater, aka Tow Mater, has a competitor in Missouri Mater
A lot of Route 66 folks know of Tow Tater, the 1951 International boom truck on Route 66 in Galena, Kansas, that served as the direct inspiration to the Tow Mater character in the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated film "Cars." But barely 15 miles east in Carterville, Missouri, also on Route 66, sits another rusty tow truck that … Continue reading Tow Tater, aka Tow Mater, has a competitor in Missouri Mater
Contract signed for Albuquerque Rapid Transit construction
For better or for ill, Mayor Richard Berry on Wednesday signed a $82.6 million contract for a local firm to begin construction of the controversial Albuquerque Rapid Transit project along Central Avenue (aka Route 66). According to the Albuquerque Journal: Heavy demolition and disruptions along a nine-mile stretch of Central Avenue are expected to begin in … Continue reading Contract signed for Albuquerque Rapid Transit construction
Antique military vehicle convoy planned on Route 66 in fall 2017
The Military Vehicle Preservation Association plans an elaborate Route 66 convoy in September and October 2017 that will feature about 80 vintage military vehicles. According to an MVPA newsletter, the convoy will begin in Chicago on Sept. 16, 2017, and end in Santa Monica, California, on Oct. 14, 2017. The convoy's maximum speed will be 35 … Continue reading Antique military vehicle convoy planned on Route 66 in fall 2017