I look forward to the annual trek to Big Sky Country every spring, and this year’s Great Falls, Montana “Crusin’ the Drag” on Saturday, May 2 did not disappoint. There were hundreds of classic vehicles and thousands of spectators on a warm spring day with lots of sunshine.
The early morning was crisp and cool when I arrived at 6:15 am to take pictures of the cars as they were arriving at dawn. The place was bustling with activity and as early as I was, I had missed hordes of vehicles which were already parked.
While the show boasted over 700 jaw-dropping machines, one car stood out like a ghost in the morning mist: a 1960 Edsel. For a vintage car enthusiast, this was a true “holy grail” encounter. As Ford’s star-crossed experiment collapsed, only a handful of these 1960 models escaped the factory in late 1959 before the plug was pulled for good. In all my years traversing the “NiceOldCars” empire, I had never seen one in the flesh. This piece of automotive history alone made the trip worthwhile.
A few of the other highlights for me were the 59 Pontiac Bonneville and the 40 Buick Woody. The beautiful candy-apple red 51 Ford Victoria was the first year for Ford to produce a hardtop.
I went back briefly at mid-day and got a few more photos while the sun was high in the sky. The final count was 737 registrations.
For anyone wondering, it took about 20 seconds to cross the border going down and about a minute coming back. As always, it’s wonderful to experience the friendliness and hospitality of our American neighbours.
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