Coker Tire Museum

On Saturday mornings I met members of the Peachtree Miata Club at a Hess truck about sixty miles north of Atlanta. The day had just grown warm enough to put our convertible tops down, and we all did that. I was second in line in a convoy of twenty of so Miatas. We drove through the Chattahoochee National Forest and into Chattanooga by way of Chicamauga. Our destination was the Coker Tire Museum.

Coker Tires is the world's premiere manufacturer of vintage tires for automobiles, motorcycles, and other vehicles. They maintain a museum at 1317 Chestnut Street-- but there are more than tires there. The museum houses more than 60 vintage motorcycles and as many antique cars. I saw vintage Indian, Henderson, and Harley-Davidson motorcyles, several models of MG sports cars, an antique fire engine and several old busses, early twentieth century race cars, and Hudsons, Fords, Chevys, and brands I'd never before seen.

The museum hosts two tours Monday-Friday (but check in first). Tours are free, are conducted at 10 am and 2 pm, and last about sixty minutes. You can book a tour by going to tours.cokertire.com.

The Miata club's visit almost certainly not coincidentally took place on the day of the Chattanooga Cruise-In. Hundreds of private owners of every conceivable type of vintage car and motorcycle brought their prides and joys. Some were chopped, but most were restored to like-new showroom condition. We're talking 1957 T'Birds, 1955 Chevy's, supercharged Trans-Ams, VW microbusses, corvettes, woody wagons, Nashes, Ferraris, Studebakers Honda Dream motorcycles-- you name it.

Alas, in my hurry to get out of the house I forgot to bring my camera. You'll just have to take my word for it.