ROUTE 66 CHRONICLES: ROUTE 66 THEN, NOW, AND NEXT YEAR

MEMORY LANE - NEXT EXIT

Welcome to Route 66 Chronicles where the neon still glows bright along Route 66, shiny new Studebaker cars roll from the factory in South Bend, the Edsel is the talk of the town, and tail fins represent the latest in automotive styling.

We at Route 66 Chronicles work hard to ensure your stroll down Memory Lane is a pleasant, enjoyable, and memorable one. In addition to regular posts by award winning author Jim Hinckley, there are numerous links to sites, including classic roadside locations, that will help in your endeavor to plan the ultimate trip along the Main Street of America and other legendary highways. In addition there are also a number of links to sites that provide technical information, as well as support, to keep your vintage car on the road.

We have also added a wide array of information about Kingman, Arizona, the self proclaimed "Heart of Historic Route 66", that is updated daily.

Before you leave meet the proprietor and learn about forthcoming projects by this author. Please take a moment to give your impressions, thoughts, and suggestions as to how we may make your visit more enjoyable.

Thank you - the Route 66 Chronicles team

Monday, June 1, 2009

ROUTE 66 THEN, NOW, AND NEXT YEAR

Here in Kingman a new chapter is beginning for Route 66. The Route 66 Association of Kingman is spearheading a project to light the way through town with vintage neon.

The first candidate is this vintage Packard sales & service sign. In this photo the sign is on Duke's garage, now a transmission rebuilding shop.

Its original location was on the circa 1910 Old Trails Garage on Route 66 to the west of the Brunswick Hotel. Once it is restored this will again be its location.

In addition plans call for the west facing wall to be dressed up with three dimensional murals over the doors and windows that are now sealed. These murals will reflect the inside of a busy shop during the same era as the Packard sign, about 1930.
After completion of the Old Trails Garage attention will turn towards the refurbishment of other signs including the one from the old City Cafe. As with so many projects the first obstacle is in acquisition of funds for the restoration.

To that

end the association will be holding a series of silent auctions and is looking for the tax

deductible donation of a vintage car for a raffle.

For more information, to donate a vehicle, or to make a donation, contact the association at kingmanroute66association@gmail.com

Okay, now I can explain the Edsel promo. First, Edsel Ford will be the subject of my next Independent Thinker column for Cars & Parts magazine.

Second, is another Kingman and Route 66 Association. The old Edsel dealership is still existent here on Kingman. Its showroom windows faced onto Route 66.

In later years this became a GM dealership and before Edsel it was a Ford sales agency. My imagination often runs faster than I am capable of keeping up with but how neat would it be if we could transform the Old Trails garage into a vintage Packard dealership and then restore an Edsel dealership. How about if we throw in a vintage Ford dealership, a Chrysler dealership from the 1940s, and transform the current Harley exhibit into a 3D vintage shop for motorcycles?

No one will ever accuse me of not dreaming large!