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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

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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)

kmcclain

Sep 2021

We learned SO much about the history of the auto industry in Detroit, with information about a competitor, in Cleveland, and what was happening in Europe with Benz, etc. I found it fascinating to hear about SO many involved in the early manufacturing with equal focus on Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Nash, Studebaker, and the now GM products, and more. How the companies were intertwined was surprising. We could hear easily as you are provided an earpiece to hear our guide very well. Jon B was so knowledgeable and friendly. It was a special day, given us as a gift for our 50th wedding anniversary. It was perfect and fun to see Detroit in a new light- with lots for friendly faces waving hello at us in the convertible Model A from 1930. We highly recommend this tour. Mike and Karen McClain, Brownstown MI

Response from Host

Oct 2021

Thanks for your review Karen! We appreciate it.

jennifersJ9771FH

Aug 2021

This was a Father’s Day gift for my 80 year old Dad. My parents went with another couple and everyone loved it!! They reported back, It was a great present! Thanks again and big hugs, Mom and Dad

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Thanks for your review Jennifer! We appreciate it.

mattwU7776UR

Jun 2021

This was a fun tour. We enjoyed driving around town in the 1929 Model A convertible, and we learned a lot about Detroit's early automotive history. I didn't rate it higher, though, because it feels like the story-telling still needs work to make this an effective tour. Our tour guide shared a whole lot of anecdotes from Detroit's early history, but it was hard to follow/identify an over-arching narrative thread. Too much focus on the trees, not enough on the forest, as it were. It would help if they provided a handout with a timeline so that you could follow who is doing what/when, etc. Also, our tour was long -- almost 3 hours. They really need to build a break into the tour -- maybe a stop for ice cream, or sodas at a local cafe, etc.

Response from Host

Jun 2021

Thank you for your review Matt! We appreciate your feedback.