Model T Tour coming to Cape in September

Enthusiasts of vintage autos are in for a treat in September, when 75 Model T Ford cars are scheduled to converge on Cape Girardeau for the Hillbilly Tour 2016.

Although the occasion isn’t officially open to the public, the cars’ owners will be based at the Auburn Place Hotel and will be visible locally from Sept. 5 to 10.

“(The cars) will come from all over the United States and sometimes Canada,” organizer Rick

McKinnis said.

From the hotel, the cars’ owners plan to leave each morning for area driving tours and will be parked near the downtown riverfront for much of the afternoon Sept. 6, McKinnis said.

That will be like an impromptu car show if anyone is interested in checking out the Model Ts, which were produced in the United States from 1908 to 1927.

The tour is sponsored by the Springfield, Missouri, chapter of the Model T Ford Corp. of America.

“This is something we do every year in a different location,” McKinnis said. “Last time, it was in Springfield.”

The group hasn’t visited Cape Girardeau since 2008.