03/28/2024
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By Erin Smith

The sounds of motors puttering and chugging on Tuesday in downtown Elizabethtown brought back the memories of years gone by for some folks. The reason? The 65th Annual Tour of the North Carolina Regional Horseless Carriage Club of America paid a visit to Elizabethtown on Tuesday afternoon. The tour group stopped in for a bite to eat at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery before returning to Mount Olive. Young and old alike were enjoying the tour and lunch stop.

The tour group was staying at a motel in Mount Olive and traveling to various locations during the day. One of the tour’s organizers, Charlie White said, that on Tuesday’s tour, the oldest driver was 91 and youngest driver was 16.

Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber Executive Director Dawn Maynard said, “I think it’s  very cool. Mr. Charlie White has been talking about coming through town for awhile.”

Maynard said she received a phone call from White about the car tour and he inquired about various attractions in Bladen County. Maynard said she went over the various locations available including both Lu Mil Vineyard and Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery.

Eventually, White settled on Cape Fear vineyard and Winery.

Roger Teachey, of Classic Cruisers Car Club, said he learned about the classic car tour  from Roger Paschal. Teachey said Paschal told him he saw “a bunch of cars” come through Elizabethtown and with a little detective work, Teachey learned about the tour.

“I thought it would be maybe three or four cars,” said Teachey.

The Horseless Carriage Tour has no cars newer than 1927, said organizer Charlie White. One of the cars featured on the tour was a 1909 Stanley Steamer.

“This is our 65th annual horseless carriage tour,” said White.

He explained the NC Regional Group consists of members from Connecticut to Florida. The tour is conducted once per year.

White said the club was started in 1953-54 and began having their first tour at that time.

“We do what we call a hub tour. We stay in one location and go to different areas,” said White.

The tour is supposed to travel to Benson and other areas this week. The group usually travels about 80 to 100 miles each day. The tour will conclude with a banquet on Friday, according to White.

White said the cars reach speeds of 30 to 35 miles per hour so the organizers try to plan routes that consist mainly of backroads to reduce congestion on busier highways.

“In addition to the tour and a meal, we sometimes build in other sites,” said White.

When asked what it takes to put a tour such as this on, White said planning and logistics. He said the first requirement is a motel that is trailer friendly. He explained that many of the cars arrive at the hub location on trailers and are then driven only during the tour. So a motel must be trailer friendly. 

He said the second thing that is needed are routes. White said the group tries to find routes that are on backroads and locate restaurants and other activities for the group to take part in.

He said last year, the group stayed in Smithfield and traveled to White Lake.

White said the group is like one big family and the activities are all family oriented.

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