About 60 pre-1915 automobiles filled the Winchester Elementary parking lot Thursday, Sept. 10, giving Northville Township students a hands-on history lesson for the third straight year.

The cars stopped at the school as part of the 43rd Lansing to Dearborn Run, a two-day tour organized by the Museum of the Horseless Carriage Touring Club and Snapper's Brass & Gas Touring Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. The route starts in Dearborn, travels roughly 100 miles to the Lansing area for an overnight stay, then returns the next day. Winchester Elementary sits along that path, and the school has hosted a pit stop each year since club leader Larry Schramm first reached out to propose the idea.

Third-graders got the closest look. They sat behind wooden steering wheels, squeezed brass horns and peppered drivers with questions about how the earliest cars worked, according to a Northville Public Schools news post. Younger students at the school look forward to reaching third grade just for their turn.

"I love seeing how excited the students are to not only see the cars, but talk to the owners and learn more about the cars," Principal Kelly Lindsay said. "The owners are always so patient and kind with the students and love to share their knowledge with them."

Lindsay said the car owners want to help the next generation develop a passion for classic automobiles and keep the vehicles' history alive. She added that students get to experience what the first vehicles looked like, how they worked and how they have changed over the years.

The run welcomes 1- and 2-cylinder cars and any vehicle built before 1915. Organizers encourage participants to bring cars that add variety among early manufacturers. The tour serves as a precursor to the Old Car Festival at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, which celebrates its 75th anniversary Sept. 12-13. That show, first held in 1951, features hundreds of vehicles from the 1890s through 1932.

The convoy cranked its engines and headed toward Lansing after the school visit. The cars were due back in Dearborn on Friday, Sept. 11, in time for the festival weekend.

Upcoming: The Old Car Festival runs Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13, at Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. The show is open to the public and features pre-1933 vehicles.