ROUTE 66 TURNS 100 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR, AND KOAT IS YOUR PLACE TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE YEAR LONG CELEBRATION. TONIGHT WE SHOW YOU THE FIRST EVENT HITTING THE ROAD THIS WEEKEND, AND WHEN YOU CAN SEE SOME CLASSIC CARS IN THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FIRST TIME. I’M REALLY EXCITED. JAKE WELK IS PREPARING TO TACKLE 2448 MILES OF PAVEMENT. 2026 IS THE CENTENNIAL YEAR OF ROUTE 66, AND SO THAT’S KIND OF THE REASONING BEHIND WHY WE’RE DOING THIS DRIVE. HE’S WITH THE ORGANIZATION AMERICA’S AUTOMOTIVE TRUST. THEIR MISSION PRESERVING CAR CULTURE, KEEPING CARS ON THE ROAD, KEEPING VINTAGE CARS ALIVE. NINE VINTAGE CARS WILL MAKE THE DRIVE HOME STARTING IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, TRAVELING EAST THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF ROUTE 66. WE HAVE A 69 CAMARO SS, THE 65 COUNTRY SQUIRE STATION WAGON WITH THE WOOD, THE WOOD PANELING. PRETTY CLASSIC. AND THEN 69 MERCURY COUGAR CONVERTIBLE. AND THEN WE HAVE A 52 CHEVY THEY CALL A FIVE WINDOW, TWO DOOR, WHICH IS KIND OF THE CLASSIC 50S PICKUP, WHICH SHOULD BE PRETTY FUN. THOSE ARE THE ICONIC CARS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK KIND OF SYMBOLIZE ROUTE 66. AND SO WE WERE METICULOUS WITH WHAT WE CHOSE, AND WE WANTED TO BE AUTHENTIC BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT BRINGING LIGHT TO THAT HISTORIC MILESTONE. WITH 100 YEARS, WE’RE HITTING AS MANY HISTORIC, SIGNIFICANT LOCATIONS AS POSSIBLE PLACES IN THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT, LIKE THE EL RANCHO HOTEL IN GALLUP, NEON SIGN MUSEUM IN ALBUQUERQUE, AND THE BLUE SWALLOW MOTEL IN TUCUMCARI. WE’LL BE DOING PHOTO STOPS. WE’LL BE DOING SOME REALLY COOL STUFF ALONG THE WAY, HE SAYS. THIS JOURNEY IS A PHYSICAL SYMBOL OF THEIR MISSION GETTING OUT AND STOPPING AND INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE. THAT’S THAT’S REALLY WHAT MAKES THIS DRIVE COME ALIVE AND ENCOURAGES EVERYONE TO CHECK OUT THESE CARS, LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM, AND MAYBE EVEN IF THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW US OUT OF TOWN FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND MAKE SOME OF THE HISTORIC RUN WITH US. A HISTORIC RIDE A CENTURY IN THE MAKING FROM ALONG ROUTE 66. I’M SASHA. WELL, THE DRIVE DOES START TOMORROW MORNING OR SATURDAY MORNING. YOU CAN FOLLOW THEIR PROGRESS ON OUR WEBSITE BY CLICKING ON THIS STORY. THERE’S ALSO A LINK TO THE TRAVEL ITINERARY SO YOU CAN MAKE PLANS TO CATCH UP WITH THEM IN GALLUP AND ALBUQUERQUE ON TUESDAY, OR TUCUMCARI ON WEDNESDAY. ALL OF THE CARS WILL B
Route 66 centennial celebration begins with vintage car journey
America’s Automotive Trust is embarking on a cross-country journey along Route 66 with nine vintage cars, starting this weekend in Santa Monica, California, to celebrate the iconic highway’s centennial in 2026.”This is going to be my first time. I’m really excited,” said Jake Welk, who is preparing to tackle the 2,448 miles of pavement. The drive, known as “The Drive Home,” will travel the entire length of Route 66, heading east.Welk explained the motivation behind the event, saying, “2026 is the centennial year of Route 66. And so that’s kind of the reasoning behind why we’re doing this drive.” The organization’s mission focuses on preserving car culture and keeping vintage cars on the road. “Our mission is set up around, you know, preserving car culture, keeping cars on the road, keeping vintage cars alive,” Welk said.The lineup of classic cars includes a ’69 Camaro SS, a ’65 Country Squire station wagon with wood paneling, a ’69 Mercury Cougar convertible, and a ’52 Chevy two-door pickup. “Those are the iconic cars that, you know, I think kind of symbolize Route 66. And so we were meticulous with what we chose. And we wanted to be authentic because it’s about, you know, bringing, you know, light to that historic milestone with 100 years,” Welk said.The journey will include stops at significant locations along Route 66 in New Mexico, such as the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, the Neon Sign Museum in Albuquerque, and the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari. “We’ve picked a route that we’re hitting as many historic significant locations as possible,” Welk said.”We’ll be doing photo stops, we’ll be doing some really cool stuff along the way,” he added, emphasizing that the journey is a physical symbol of their mission. “Getting out and stopping and interacting with people. That’s really what makes this drive come alive,” Welk said.He encourages everyone to check out the cars, learn more about them, and even join the drive. “People are welcome to, you know, tag along if they want to make, if they want to, you know, follow us out of town for a little while and make some of the historic run with us,” Welk said.The drive starts Saturday morning, and all the cars will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show on January 14.Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
America’s Automotive Trust is embarking on a cross-country journey along Route 66 with nine vintage cars, starting this weekend in Santa Monica, California, to celebrate the iconic highway’s centennial in 2026.
“This is going to be my first time. I’m really excited,” said Jake Welk, who is preparing to tackle the 2,448 miles of pavement. The drive, known as “The Drive Home,” will travel the entire length of Route 66, heading east.
Welk explained the motivation behind the event, saying, “2026 is the centennial year of Route 66. And so that’s kind of the reasoning behind why we’re doing this drive.” The organization’s mission focuses on preserving car culture and keeping vintage cars on the road.
“Our mission is set up around, you know, preserving car culture, keeping cars on the road, keeping vintage cars alive,” Welk said.
The lineup of classic cars includes a ’69 Camaro SS, a ’65 Country Squire station wagon with wood paneling, a ’69 Mercury Cougar convertible, and a ’52 Chevy two-door pickup. “Those are the iconic cars that, you know, I think kind of symbolize Route 66. And so we were meticulous with what we chose. And we wanted to be authentic because it’s about, you know, bringing, you know, light to that historic milestone with 100 years,” Welk said.
The journey will include stops at significant locations along Route 66 in New Mexico, such as the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, the Neon Sign Museum in Albuquerque, and the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari. “We’ve picked a route that we’re hitting as many historic significant locations as possible,” Welk said.
“We’ll be doing photo stops, we’ll be doing some really cool stuff along the way,” he added, emphasizing that the journey is a physical symbol of their mission. “Getting out and stopping and interacting with people. That’s really what makes this drive come alive,” Welk said.
He encourages everyone to check out the cars, learn more about them, and even join the drive. “People are welcome to, you know, tag along if they want to make, if they want to, you know, follow us out of town for a little while and make some of the historic run with us,” Welk said.
The drive starts Saturday morning, and all the cars will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show on January 14.
Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
