Antique auto groups coming to Van Wert

VW Area CVB information

Local residents will be able to see a spectacular array of antique, vintage and collectible automobiles in the next few weeks as three different automobile clubs make excursions to this area.

On Sunday, September 21, the Old Fort Model A Club from Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be visiting the Van Wert County Historical Museum beginning at 1 p.m. This group will have approximately 50 automobiles.  Ford Model As were built between 1928 and 1931, and replaced the Model T. When production of the Model A ended, nearly 5 million of them had been sold.

On Monday, September 8, the Buick Driving Enthusiasts Tour will be in Van Wert. This organization, affiliated the Buick Car Club, is committed to not only owning and displaying vintage cars, but also to actually driving them. The group, headed by Bruce and Shar Kile of Marietta, Georgia, has put together a “Simple Is, As Simple Does” tour of northwest Ohio.  The 50 cars in this tour will be available for public viewing at the following locations:  KAM Manufacturing/Universal Lettering, between 10 and 11:30 a.m.; Wassenberg Art Center, between noon and 1:30 p.m.; and Central Mutual Insurance Company, between 2 and 4 p.m.

On Wednesday, September 10, the same group will be traveling to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, but will make a stop in Delphos, where participants have veen encouraged to visit the Canal Commission and Postal History museums, on the group’s return trip to Bryan. Group members can also wander downtown to do some shopping and stop by The Creamery for an ice cream treat.

The week of September 21-26, the prestigious Antique Automobile Club of America will be holding its 69th revival Glidden Tour hosted by the Defiance Chapter of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America.  This tour will include approximately 200 antique and classic cars.

On Monday, September 22, 100 of those cars will making the trip to Van Wert. While here, the group will visit the Antique Fire Equipment Museum at Central Mutual Insurance Company, lunch at Willow Bend Country Club, stop at the Children’s Garden in Smiley Park and tour the Van Wert County Historical Museum.

On Tuesday, the second group of 100 cars will make the same stops when they come to town.  The best place for public viewing will be at the museum where cars will be parked on the grounds as well as on Third Street.

The public is invited to any of these locations on the above dates to see the many antique automobiles.