Buffalo was once a serious car town. Some of the world’s greatest cars were manufactured here, hence the Pierce Arrow. On Saturday, June 23, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum will be hosting an event (8 AM – 11 AM) that pays tribute to the golden age of the automobile. According to the museum, “The Great Race, the world’s premiere old car rally, will bring 120 of the world’s finest antique automobiles to town for the $150,000 event.”
Cars built in 1972 and earlier are eligible, with most entries having been manufactured before World War II.
Car enthusiasts and history buffs have been buzzing about The Great Race for years. Now the time has finally come, where Buffalo will play host to this sensational gathering of automobiles and drivers. This esteemed race will begin at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum on Saturday, where drivers will embark upon a nine day race/excursion, before winding up in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Sunday, July 1.
The Great Race, which began 35 years ago, is not a speed race, but a time/speed/distance rally.
“We are pleased to be working with Jim Sandoro and the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum to bring the Great Race to Buffalo for the start in 2018,” event director Jeff Stumb said. “There are more than 450 people just in our entourage from all around the world. And they will be spending four and five days in Buffalo before the start of the race getting ready for their 9-day, 2,300-mile adventure.”
The event was started in 1983 by Tom McRae and it takes its name from the 1965 movie, The Great Race, which starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Peter Falk.
This Saturday, Buffalonians will be able to get a first hand glimpse of the teams and cars that hail from Japan, England, Germany, Canada, and all over the US. From there, the drivers will be stopping at myriad cities along the way to their final destination. “When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,” Stumb said. “In 2016 we had five overnight stops with more than 10,000 spectators on our way to having 250,000 people see the Great Race during the event.”
For more information, go to www.greatrace.com. Also find information on this Facebook event page.