Great Weekend Drives: The Black Hills of South Dakota

Through spindly rock sculptures and past herds of grazing bison is South Dakota’s Needles Highway. Our neighbor to the north is known for its monuments, but most don’t know about the scenic drive that connects them. Another one of the hidden treasures in the US, the Needles Highway stretches 40 miles from one memorial to the next creating the perfect weekend drive. You’ll begin the journey at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Still a work in progress, the finished product will represent Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear riding horseback, surveying his lands. Started in 1948, the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s family continues to chip and carve at the massive rock. This means you could take this trip once a year, and watch the progress!

Now it’s time to take that performance vehicle for a stroll along Highway 87 through the majestic Black Hills. And we’re not kidding when we say stroll – the speed limit is 35mph! The reason? This part of the scenic drive goes through ponderosa pines, granite outcroppings, and pastures of grazing bison, antelope, deer, and elk. You wouldn’t want your baby-on-wheels to meet one of those head on! After strolling down Hwy 87 for fourteen miles, you’ll find yourselves in Custer State Park. Home to the largest herd of bison outside of Yellowstone, you can explore in the shadow of Harney Peak, whose altitude is between the Rockies and the Swiss Alps at 7,242 feet. It’s in this shadow you’ll find the cathedral spires, one of the most popular attractions in the park. These needle-like spires that rise from the forest floor, as well as many others, are what give the Needles Highway its name.

The final leg of this journey through South Dakota takes you down Iron Mountain Road or US 16A. At seventeen miles long, it’s known to be a winding view-worthy drive – perfect for your performance vehicle. In fact, it’s been called a historic work of art that’s made to slow you down. Iron Mountain Road is also known for its one-lane tunnels and wooden spiral-shaped “pigtail” bridges. These are what frame the way to Mount Rushmore. The road is known to have 314 curves, 3 tunnels, 3 pigtails, and much more.

South Dakota’s Needles Highway is perfect for the weekend travelers looking to slow down. Enjoy feeling your European performance vehicle hugging every curve and winding through nature. There’s still more open road to explore – wait until you see where we take you next!

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Great Weekend Drives: Flint Hills, Kansas

A performance vehicle deserves a chance to be driven on a beautiful scenic drive. Think you need to travel far to find a road deserving of the drive? Although the US is full of beautiful highways and byways, you don’t need to take vacation time to explore them. In fact, you don’t need to look any farther than to Nebraska’s southern neighbor, Kansas. Running slightly parallel to I-35, you’ll find Route 177, an 85 mile stretch of road that is one of two National Scenic Byways in Kansas. Starting in Cassoday, KS, you’ll head north. The route is a beautiful drive through the true prairie land. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve encompasses the highway north of Cottonwood Falls. Within the preserve you’ll see Bison, meadowlark, and other local wildlife – that is, if the prairie is fully grown, which can be as tall as 4 to 5 feet!

Within Cottonwood Falls, you’ll see a piece of history: Grand Central Hotel. This is where they claim the West began. Continuing your drive north, you’ll travel through the Flint Hills of Kansas, ending in the college town of Manhattan. The Flint Hills are known for their wildlife as well as their beautiful varieties of flowers.

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Kansas is also home to part of the Historic Route 66 Byway. Starting just east of Galena, you’ll be able to see many of the original structures as you drive along a part of “The Mother Road.” One on these structures is the Marsh Arch Bridge, the only one left on the historic route. You’ll even find the original tow truck that “Mater”, from the Disney movie, “Cars”, was modeled after.

Because Kansas has some of the last original prairie land, you can also expect a naturally beautiful scenic drive the whole way.

These are two of eleven scenic byways throughout Kansas. Each route is deserving of a long stroll or fast-driving curves. You bought a performance vehicle because of the way it drives; why not take it on a road it deserves?

And stay tuned – we’ll let you know about more scenic road trips just a short drive away.

"The route is a beautiful drive through the true prairie land. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve encompasses the highway north of Cottonwood Falls."

Star Class Motors to Host Their 2nd Annual European Car Show & Shine Event

We are excited to present the 2nd Annual Star Class Motors European Car Show & Shine Event! It will be held Saturday, June 27th, 2015 at Caddy’s Riverside Grille, 2 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs, IA 51501. Registration for vehicles is free and begins at 9:00 AM with the show beginning at 11:00 AM. The event is open to the public and everyone is invited to come out and enjoy a day of European luxury cars, great food and drinks, and a great time with fellow automotive culture enthusiasts. The show has a European theme but is open to street rods, muscle cars, classic cars, trucks, and specialty vehicles.

All car show participants are welcome to participate and vote in the People’s Choice Award for their favorite vehicle. The winner will be selected later on towards the end of the show.

As we enter into our second year of this event, we hope to have it grow in attendance each year. We are a small business with a love of foreign cars and we’d love to get more people in the area excited about European luxury cars too. Come join us for a wonderful event, it’s one you won’t want to miss!

Pre-register for the event by clicking here

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