Classic Car Transporters…Let’s Keep ‘em Rollin

Cars older than 20 years are known as “classic cars”, while cars older than 50 years are known as “antiques”. These vehicles need to be preserved, admired & cherished.

Car enthusiasts from around the world gather every year locally, nationally & internationally to proudly display their vehicles for others to admire. People often travel great distances to attend these shows and rely heavily on Classic Car Transport Services to ensure their vehicles arrive on-time and in excellent condition.

Utilizing a Classic Car Transport Service allows the vehicle’s owner to reduce the wear & tear on the restored vehicle, while also being able to transport multiple vehicles at one time. One of the many features to determining a car’s value is the amount of mileage, or lack thereof, that is registered on the car’s odometer. Other factors that may determine a car’s value are interior / exterior condition, after-market add-ons, and additional items that are appealing to someone else.

A preferred feature of a car transporter is the ability to have the vehicle enclosed during transit. This allows the vehicle to arrive in cleaner and in better condition, than if the transporter was open. Flying debris and dust take their toll on a vehicle’s body and paint. Car transporters can typically carry anywhere from 1-8 vehicles, depending on the size of the vehicle and design of the carrier.

While growing up in a suburb of Detroit, MI, the “Motor City”, we often attended local car shows. It was commonplace to attend car shows that spanned for miles throughout neighboring cities. Everyone gathered to spend the day watching the large variety of cars; either cruise up & down the street or remain stationary for all to admire. We would often attend the yearly Auto Show, anxiously anticipating the new arrivals for the upcoming year, to see what the latest styles, accessories and designs that would be available for purchase.

In 1995, car enthusiasts in Detroit started a car show to showcase and highlight their beloved Classic Cars. Funds from this event were used to build a soccer field in Ferndale, MI. These enthusiasts, who were also automotive industry workers, wanted to ensure that these older vehicles were not forgotten amongst the newer vehicles with their latest technologies. This event, known as the “Woodward Dream Cruise”, is now one of the largest 1-day car shows throughout the United States, and it will celebrate 30th anniversary in 2020! Car enthusiast, Jay Leno, would often travel to Michigan for this event.

The way this event is designed makes it difficult to determine the number of cars that cruise Woodward Avenue. Many of the cars show up on the day of the event and just merge into the flow of traffic. This road is an 8-lane road (four lanes in each direction) that is completely packed, bumper-to-bumper for hours along the 17-mile stretch (one-way) of the event. It is estimated that 1.5 million people gather along Woodward Avenue to watch approximately 40,000 vehicles travel from Detroit to Pontiac, MI during the month of August.

In Biloxi, MS, during the first week of October, we host a week-long event called, “Crusin’ the Coast”. There are 75 miles along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Alabama. The cities along the coast have their own parties and celebrations for these Classic & Antique cars, which include “Cruisin” along Highway 90 (also known as Beach Blvd) for the entire week. Most cities will shut down completely on the day of their party due to the inability to navigate the streets.

The 2019 statistics from the Biloxi event are: “8620 registered vehicles from 42 states and Canada. We even had visitors from Mexico, Hawaii and France come to Coastal Mississippi for the event.” (Cruisin’ the Coast Facebook page). These numbers are impressive, considering that Coastal MS is not often the first location people think about visiting. We are known as the “Secret Coast” and have a wide variety of things to do here.

Another annual event that happens in Biloxi, MS is “Scrapin’ the Coast”. This event happens during June and it highlights Classic & Antique cars that have been enhanced with a variety of after-market items. These items include but are not limited to: lowering the vehicle’s frame to “scrape” the ground, utilizing hydraulics to lift & lower the vehicle higher, using extreme paint schemes, lights, and tires, as well as having speakers that have the ability to handle an incredible amount of bass.

These events are a few of the many events around the world that celebrate Classic & Antique cars. The need for Classic Car Transport Services is critical to preserve the history of these classic vehicles. Without these services, the scale of these events would be reduced to a miniscule level, as car enthusiasts would not be able to transport their “babies” in an efficient manner, especially if they own multiple vehicles or attend events not in their local area.

Car enthusiasts are a social group of people. Many enthusiasts prefer to gather in a parking lot on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and spend time chatting with friends, old and new. They are always willing to answer questions from passers-by. There will undoubtably be someone who has a question or compliment about the car. For those that enter their vehicles into contests, the prize many can be a significant incentive for an owner to maintain their cars.

The financial & economic impact of Classic Car Transport Services cannot be determined. Their services have a large impact on local economies due to the influx of patrons who attend car show. After each event, Tourism directors will compile statistics to determine how much money was brought in the food, hotel & entertain industries of each town. These services will always be in high demand while there are car enthusiasts who enjoy going from event to event. Those that own and operate car haulers do not have to worry about their jobs being outsourced to other countries or robots!

Submitted by Donna Kain on 09/03/2020