Visit the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo South Dakota

Narrator: America’s romance with the auto mobile is nowhere more celebrated than a long South Dakota’s Interstate 90’s. In Murdo South Dakota cars is nearly out number the residence of the magic city. The 50th anniversary of the Murdo Pioneer Auto Show is the reason for this two day celebration.

Dave Geisler: Hi. This is Dave Geisler of the Pioneer Auto Show Murdo South Dakota, your friend by the side of the way. You know, we've been here 50 years and this is our 50th anniversary. And for today, we’re celebrating with the community, the town, the state and the miracle of surviving this long the way we do things because it’s a disease.

Female: What do people see when they come?

Dave Geisler: You know we have variety. This is the largest private one I think in America that’s open to the republic. We have over 350 cars. We have Stanley Steamers and Stoddard Dayton and Packies and – and Saxon’s Series and Stutz and Stars and Shelbys and Super Birds and Auburn and Packard and Peerless and Case and Cadillac and many, many more.

We only have about 70 tractors. We have Elvis Presley’s motorcycle. This year from Hollywood we brought in General Lee which has come from several vehicles. We also have Eleanor from gone in 60 seconds so that’s been a real a popular thing. And Elvis Presley’s motorcycles stays their all the time.

And then we have the whole Burry down. You’ll see out of this as we go through. The very town is out and back and it— the buildings that we have either restored or moved in right this area, there is a general store. There is a barbershop, there’s the blacksmith shop, there is a bank, there’s an old depo. We’re just now plotting in— we’re just now putting in a WNX gas station which is named after a radio station. There are only two of those surviving. We’re just re-doing the 1906 Milwaukee Railroad Depo in the right colors. We’re just constantly working. It’s a working progress.

Male: How in the world did you get started?

Dave Geisler: Well, this is where we live and my dad was a Chevy dealer and I've been a Ford dealer and people— we just started collecting tires and we needed a place the put them and we just kept adding on and adding on and its got completely out of hand. And about 80 to 90 percent of the people would stop here. they’ve been here before.

Everybody‘s favorite of course is the ‘57 Chevy Convertible. I happen to like the ‘53 Packard Caribbean and I love the early Mercury of ‘49s and ‘50s. I love the old s Stutz Touring that we drive quite often and the 1931 Pierce Arrow that belong to Ring-ring brothers. We've had it for many years. It’s a convertible. It has a rumble seat. Right there I’ve got often a lot of fun in driving the Judge Convertible in 1970, Pontiac then the Rambler.

Male: Your Judge is right there.

Dave Geisler: There it is. That could be your Judge.

Male 2: Maybe we should take it to the car wash first and then take pictures. So, what is that?

Male: So, what is that?

Male 2: It is the 1970 GTO Judge Convertible. It’s going to buy—

Dave Geisler: This is the one that was on sea span for an hour-. He said may do – driving this around. There are a couple of cars that should be brought here then do. This is a 1980 Dodge that we use in a lot of parades. And this car is a World War One General Perry Pershing made famous.

Anyway, they got the sign the animal Dodge because there was somebody in World War One— but they have the backward shift the silent stater. He use it in parades and— close to perfect. This is a great car.

Here is an interesting one too from the pride of Auburn Indiana an 1934 Auburn Phaeton. So, notice the beautiful line. E.L. Cord took over the company at that time.

Female: What is people’s fascination with old cars?

Dave Geisler: You know, that’s an American love story. I tell you, you have to ask the people around you and they’ll sure tell you. Cars are part of their life. Cars are their history. Cars are who they are and memories. We’re in the memory business. We’re nostalgia.