Revival Glidden Tour still making a point

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The first AAA-sponsored automobile tour was simply a coordinated group of early automobilists headed to the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair, but the next year, thanks to the generosity of Charles J. Glidden who donated a $2,000 trophy, the tour became primarily a publicity vehicle to counter the "toys of the idle rich" perception and to promote the reliability and utility of early cars. As the AAA now admits, "By 1908, the tour had assumed the character of an all-out contest for prestige among the manufacturers."

The last of the original Glidden Tours was held in 1913, by which time American cars were consistently winning over European makes, and the reliability of cars had been proved beyond question. The push then was for better roads.

In 1946 the famous operatic tenor (and noted early car collector) James Melton proposed a revival Glidden Tour which came into being under the auspices of the VMCCA that year. It has been held every year since, sometimes by the VMCCA and sometimes by the AACA, though since 1969 the clubs have alternated the sanction.

The 68th annual Revival Glidden Tour (sponsored again by the AAA) was held Sept 8-13, 2013, in Chattanooga, TN, with the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo complex serving as the hub for the 550+ mile event. Over 225 prewar cars, from 1909 to 1942, pre-registered to visit numerous car collections and local landmarks such Lookout Mountain, Rock City, and the Tennessee Aquarium. The AAA proclaims the Revival Glidden as "one of the most prestigious touring events in American auto history" and it's absolutely one of the most fun and enjoyable.

At its inception, the Glidden Tour set out to show the American public that the automobile was a useful and reliable alternative to the horse, but today it serves another, though similar, function: to demonstrate that antique and classic cars are still reliable and drivable, even those a century or more old.

Text and photos: Gregory Wells.

Below: 1909 Pierce Arrow / 1931 Studebacker President  1931 Chrysler 1909 Lozier at Coker Tire Museum / 1938 Studebaker Coupe Express, overview

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