83-Year-Old Drives 1937 Vintage Car from Seattle to Michigan for Pontiac Centennial Celebration

PALM DESERT, Calif. — Thousands of classic automobile enthusiasts have converged on Pontiac, Michigan, this weekend for the 54th annual Pontiac-Oakland Club International convention. The state has only hosted this prestigious global gathering twice in its history, and the timing of this year's event carries profound historical weight, as 2026 marks exactly 100 years since General Motors first introduced the iconic Pontiac brand to the world.

Among the dedicated collectors making the historic pilgrimage is 83-year-old Gary Cummings. Accompanied by a close friend, Cummings embarked on a massive cross-country road trip, driving his vintage 1937 Pontiac a staggering 2,446 miles from his home in Seattle, Washington, directly to the centennial celebration. Along the highway, the pre-war vehicle drew widespread admiration from fellow motorists who honked in support, with Cummings happily blaring his classic horn in return. He remarked that keeping a vintage vehicle operational for decades mirrors the collaborative effort of the original automotive factory workers, stating that the cross-country trip was a meaningful way to give back to the network of friends who have helped him preserve the vehicle.

The 1937 Pontiac holds a lifetime of deeply personal family milestones for Cummings. The vehicle was originally discovered at a yard sale by his girlfriend, who later became his wife. He managed to purchase the automobile in 1961 for 175 dollars—an amount he notes was a significant sum for a student at the time. The very next day, he proudly drove the car to his high school graduation. From that moment forward, the vehicle became a permanent fixture in his household. It served as the family's sole means of transportation when they first wed, acted as their official honeymoon vehicle, and was used to bring both of his newborn children home from the hospital.

The grueling six-day journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest was not entirely seamless. The duo encountered mechanical trouble when their car battery died along the route, but a helpful Good Samaritan quickly stepped in to get the classic engine running again. Cummings noted that the experience reminded him of the generosity of everyday people when traveling on open American roads.

The cross-country travelers arrived in Michigan just in time to participate in the centennial festivities, which kicked off with a sprawling classic car parade through downtown Pontiac on Friday evening, followed by a massive public car show at the Oakland Expo on Saturday. The historic gathering was meticulously organized by the nearby Pontiac Transportation Museum. Terry Connolly, the board chair of the museum, welcomed visitors to explore the city's rich automotive culture and view the expanded vehicle exhibits in air-conditioned comfort. Connolly noted that even though General Motors retired the division years ago, Pontiac continues to maintain arguably the largest and most passionate following of any defunct automobile brand in history. For Cummings, slipping behind the wheel of his decades-old family car remains a magical experience, describing the tactile shift of the manual transmission and the view of the iconic Indian head hood ornament as stepping into a living time machine.

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