Route 66: Myth and Reality

The Motoring Historian, Jon Summers, travels through rural Oklahoma west of Oklahoma City while reflecting on the centenary of Route 66, designated in 1926 from Chicago and St. Louis to Santa Monica/Los Angeles. Driving on I-40 with old Route 66 running nearby, he describes surviving original stretches, the road’s many museums and roadside ephemera, and why so many buildings and towns along it declined after freeways bypassed them and as vehicles became more reliable, reducing the need for frequent service stops. He connects Route 66 mythology to pop culture like Pixar’s Cars, murals of 1960s–70s muscle cars, and a TV-era romance of cross-country travel tied to Hollywood dreams. He also notes evolving freeway infrastructure, a Tulsa routing mistake, and mixed feelings about Route 66 icons like Cadillac Ranch and its imitators. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 Rolling Into Oklahoma 01:11 Route 66 Explained 02:08 The Road Still Exists 03:53 Museums and Roadside Life 05:07 Why Towns Died Off 07:42 Cannonballing, Murals Cars, and Romance 10:54 Hollywood Dreams Myth 12:23 How Bypasses Kill Towns 17:20 Cadillac Ranch And Copycats 19:28 Network Credits And Outro ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram Jon Summers is the Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. On his show he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, motoring travel. Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This content is also available via jonsummers.net. This episode is part of the Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.