ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between tourism and activities and events that involve heritage automobiles and the extent to which each contributes to the other. One needs only to look at the large number of participants in various events involving heritage automobiles around the world, and the even larger number of attendees at such events, to realize that there is a symbiotic relationship between both activities that focus on preserved automobiles. The ubiquitous nature of the automobile in virtually all societies – be they well developed or developing or culturally changing with respect to automobile ownership such as China – means that our fascination, enjoyment, and use of automobiles is inescapable. 1 Our landscapes reflect the influence of the automobile on society with highways and structures proliferating around the world. Our lifestyles have adapted to the functionality, attractiveness, and indeed love of the automobile. This chapter makes the case that tourism, itself a relatively new social, cultural, and economic phenomenon, has been influenced by the automobile, both in terms of functionality and mobility and in terms of becoming tourist attractions in and of themselves.
