April 26, 2024 / Driving through the Decades / Auburn, Alabama

What an exciting event!
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Club members Bill Stockton, Jimmy and Kathy Stallings, Steve and Sandie Lowery, and Tom and Elizabeth Wyse made their way to Auburn for a unique event focusing on nearly 1,000 sixth graders and the history of 70+ vehicles from 1917 to 2018!

140 students were tasked to provide a presentation board to the owners of their respective vehicles. They dressed in period clothing and they and 700+ students had an opportunity to check out all the cars. The energy, focus, and devotion of these students left a mark on the hearts of us all!

This event touched on our club founders' original goals “... the ownership, restoration, and preservation of all types of automobiles as well as teaching about their history and future were core ideals the organization sprang up around.”

From the Opelika-Auburn News
There were 74 cars on display at J.F. Drake Middle School on Friday morning as a part of the sixth annual "Driving Through the Decades" car show.

From a 1917 Ford Model T all the way to a 2018 Tesla S75D, there were dozens of cars on display with sixth graders presenting various fun facts about their vehicles. The event started with a few cars from his friends, but it has grown rapidly and Friday's event was their largest yet.

"I think that it's a great program for kids to learn about the cars, learn about the mechanics from the beginning, and the changes and challenges that have been in transportation and what the future may be," said classic car enthusiast Tom Spicer.
Spicer started the event seven years ago with Beverly Helm, a social studies teacher at J.F. Drake Middle School. Spicer is the co-founder of Spicer’s Music and a member of various car clubs in the area.

Helm said each sixth grade student picks a decade and researches it as the teachers help them prepare. Helm said the point is that the students become experts on the cars instead of the owners. Throughout Friday morning, the students present facts and info on their cars to fellow students and faculty and the students are often dressed in clothes from their decade.
Helm said that she and Spicer are old friends and that it was Spicer who first came to her with the idea. Helm has been at J.F. Drake Middle School for 19 years and she said the response from the students makes the event worth it.