Afisha Life Homepage
Detroit
Explore
Walking Tours
Private MotorCities National Heritage Area Antique Car Tour

Private MotorCities National Heritage Area Antique Car Tour

Overview

Bring up to four along on tour in our 1930 Phaeton (open car) to hear the uncommon tales of the people who build Detroit's automobile industry. Ordinary folks with extraordinary “can do” spirit turned Detroit into the Motor City. On tour we remember as many as we can, those who to this day are household names and those whose stars have faded into time.

City: Detroit

Sun 03 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $392.00

Make a reservation

Sun 03 Nov

Starting at $392.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (103) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (113) Entry Tickets (47) Sporting Events (1) Good for Small Groups (6) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (41) Walking Tours (697) Outdoor Activities (20) Limitied Availability Tours (6) LGBT Friendly Tours (4) Family-friendly Activities (7) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (27) Travelers recommend (73) Good for Groups (8) Top Activities (18) Guided Audio Tours (3) Art, Culture & History (135) Attractions to explore (38)

What's Included

Private transportation

Ride in a 90 year old Model A Ford

We have a water cooler so you can fill your bottle with cold water on hot days.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children who are both under 8 and under 4 feet 9 inches tall cannot be accommodated by Antique Touring Company due to child seatbelt laws.
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
We follow the protocol set by the State of Michigan as to whether or not masks are advised.

What To Expect

Ford Plant

The Antique Touring Company garage is in Milwaukee Junction, a small industrial district of Detroit that became the incubator of the automobile industry in the first decade of the 20th Century. Specifically, we are in the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, now a museum dedicated to preserving the first Factory built by the Ford Motor Company, in 1904. In those days Henry Ford was not the only Tinkerer on the block. Meet us at 461 Piquette Avenue and we will take you around the neighborhood to see where it all began, and in many cases where it also ended, for automobile companies such as Studebaker, Ford, EMF, Regal, Nash, Detroit Electric, Brush and Packard, as well for suppliers such as Murray, Briggs and Fisher. The neighborhood looks a little rough these days, but Milwaukee Junction is must-not-miss sacred ground of American automobile heritage. A National Historic Landmark, the Highland Park Plant is where the Ford Motor Company built the first fully automated assembly line. The assembly line was a game changer in automobile production, allowing Ford to manufacture cars so efficiently that they could be priced low enough that working class people could afford them. Besides the assembly line, in Highland Park we will also discuss some of Ford's social experimentation, as well as the critical role of the automobile industry in World War I.

Boston Edison Historic District

When the Milwaukee Junction tinkers became titans of the auto industry, many of them, and their white collar colleagues, built homes in the Boston Edison neighborhood of Detroit. On the way back from Highland Park we drive through Boston Edison to see some grand mansions that the automobile titans build in the years before World War I.

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

Hear about the start of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford's third attempt at automobile manufacturing. Also the history of automobile companies in the neighborhood including Studebaker who bought the Piquette Plant from Ford in 1911.

Packard Automotive Plant

Hear the story of why the Packard brothers moved their company from Ohio to Detroit and what made the Packard Plant and Brand special. Plus what ultimately led to the downfall of the company.

Russell Industrial Center

Hear the stories of Murray Body and Anderson Electric Automobile Companies.

Fisher Building

The Fisher Building, designed for Fisher Body and General Motors, is considered to be Albert Kahn's greatest architectural accomplishment.

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (49)

t0gle

Aug 2019

For any one with an interest in the early days of automobile manufacturing in Detroit this tour is a must. Pleasant and informative in an open topped Model A!!

Response from Host

Aug 2019

Thanks for your review! We appreciate it.

Sean C

Aug 2019

Touring in the Model A was really a delight. Our tour guide had a deep understanding of the early automotive industry. It was great seeing the very places that Ford and others started out. Would definitely highly recommend.

Response from Host

Aug 2019

Thanks for your review Sean! We appreciate it.

M3349ZSjasonp

Aug 2019

Really unique tour as you cruise around in the New Center area, Boston Edison neighborhood, and the city of Highland Park in a Model A. The downtown Detroit revitalization is mostly complete but this tour goes to areas of Detroit not in most tourbooks but are chalk full of automobile history. Stops include the site of the founding of Cadillac, several of Ford’s factories (including the Highland Park factory where the auto assembly line was introduced), the abandoned Packard Plant, the old GM headquarters and Fisher Building at New Center, and an historic home neighborhood where many famous people of Detroit (including Henry Ford) lived. Have to give my props to our driver Lisa. Driving a model A in traffic, plus narrating a tour, can’t be easy. She has an extensive knowledge of automobile history and I learned a ton about the early automobile age. Most importantly, you do get a headset during the tour, so it is easy to hear the narration as you are being driven. This is a new business and they are still working out the kinks. There is so much to see on the tour that they were having trouble squeezing it into two hours and they were running late. In addition, the Model A’s really only sit three, plus a driver comfortably, but the booking site allows four plus a driver. Finally, would not recommend on a broiling hot day. The cars (naturally) do not have a/c and you spend a lot of time in the cars. Could be uncomfortable if temperature is in the nineties. Overall, if you really want to understand what made (and what broke Detroit), take this tour.

Response from Host

Aug 2019

Thanks for your review M! We appreciate it!