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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

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $392.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

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)

mistihuguelet

Nov 2019

I decided on this experience for my history-buff husband, and it was AWESOME! Lisa is so very knowledgeable about all of the ins and outs of the early auto industry and it feels more like a 3-D movie and not a boring history lecture. Riding around in the Model A convertible, seeing all of the still-standing buildings, and hearing how the men (and women, thank you, Dodge wives) brought their vision of horseless carriages to life is just amazing. This was one of our favorite trips, and I am so glad that I found it! Thank you, Lisa!

Response from Host

Nov 2019

You are so very welcome Misti. It was a pleasure hanging out with you! Lisa

jpbrownlow

Oct 2019

What a great morning learning about the beginnings of the auto industry! Brian did a nice job taking these names we've all heard about - Ford, Packard, Studebaker and Dodge, and telling true stories right in front of the actual spot where they happened. He truly loves the subject matter and the stories delivered in his 1931 Ford make them come alive!

Response from Host

Oct 2019

Thanks for your review JP! We appreciate it.

Timothy G

Oct 2019

My husband and I stopped overnight in Detroit as part of a larger trip, and happened upon an ad for this tour when looking into things to do in the area. I'm so very glad that we did, as it was worth the entire trip in Detroit! Our guide, Lisa, who created the tour, was absolutely wonderful! The history and insights she shared with us were made even more captivating by the fact that we were riding around in her vintage Ford Model A! I cannot recommend this tour enough! Thanks for the fantastic afternoon!

Response from Host

Oct 2019

Thanks for your review! We appreciate it!