Rock Hill to Host the Nation’s Oldest and Largest Antique Automobile Tour
Revival AAA Glidden Tour Cruises through the Carolinas
| CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 18, 2019) – The Revival AAA Glidden Tour is the oldest and largest annual antique automobile tour and it’s coming to the Carolinas, September 22-27, 2019. The week-long tour will be headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina and will span the Olde English District of Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Union and York Counties. It will feature 138 vintage vehicles all made prior to 1943. The Hornets Nest Region of Antique Automobile Club of America is proudly serving as this year’s host. This year marks the 74th edition of the revival tour.
“We’re honored to be a sponsor of this year’s Revival AAA Glidden Tour,” said Dave Parsons, President and CEO of AAA Carolinas. “Our commitment to ‘keep life moving’ for Carolinians is just one of the many reasons we are a proud sponsor of this tour and we look forward to sharing our love for timeless, classic automobiles with all of the passionate car enthusiasts traveling to Rock Hill for the event.” Each day during the tour, Gliddenites will travel from Rock Hill to visit towns and some attractions of the Olde English District of upper South Carolina. More Revolutionary War battles were fought in South Carolina than any other colony, and many of them were in the seven counties (Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Union and York) known as the Olde English District. Touring will include Kings Mountain National Military Park, living history sites, exploring our country’s past and present, Stowe Botanical Gardens and a restored mill in Lincolnton North Carolina. Also scheduled is a visit with the Anderson automobiles originally made in Rock Hill. The original AAA Reliability Tours®, which ran from 1904 to 1913, were held to demonstrate the merit and reliability of the automobile as basic transportation, with AAA advocating for the development of safe roads, dependable driving information – including maps and signage – and help to encourage the expansion of other automotive related services. During that time, an evolution was just beginning to take place on our nation’s roadways as consumers became more aware of the benefits of the horseless carriage. The AAA Reliability Tour® served as a catalyst for these changes in the transportation industry. The winner of the 1905 tour-and all subsequent tours-received a $2,000 trophy offered by Charles J. Glidden, a wealthy New England industrialist and avid automobile supporter. From that point on, Glidden’s name would be used for the tour. The original trophy is on public display in the atrium of the AAA National Office in Heathrow, FL. Today, AAA is involved in the re-creation of those original tours. Unlike a car show, the tour emphasizes driving a pre-determined route, re-creating the purposes and traditions of the early AAA events and providing a week of pleasurable daily car trips to points of scenic or cultural interest. To win the Revival AAA Glidden Tour trophy, participants must complete the entire tour without requiring the aid of AAA roadside assistance and have the best average time over the course of the week. For more information on the event, click here. |
| AAA Carolinas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, is a not-for-profit organization that serves more than 2.2 million member and the public with travel, automobile and insurance services while being an advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. |