Celebrating the reopening of Highway 1 with a Dream Ride.

A convoy of cars set out Thursday morning to mark the reopening of Highway 1 through Big Sur. Fords and Ferraris, Mercedes and Mercurys—even a drab 1970s Plymouth Satellite sedan rolled onto the road after an opening lap around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, destination Morro Bay.

The Dream Drive event was orchestrated by Visit California with the assistance of track officials and several car clubs, who helped bring together cars representing every model year of the highway’s history—from a 1934 Pierce Arrow to a 2018 Genesis. After completing a lap around the track, cars headed onto Highway 68 en route to Highway 1. The schedule included a pitstop for lunch at Ventana Big Sur and a rally at Morro Rock.

A massive landslide buried a quarter-mile stretch of the famed Pacific Coast roadway in May of 2017 after a series of wet winter storms, cutting off residents and businesses and forcing traffic to detour. Caltrans managed to reopen Highway 1 last month, carving new lanes and completing the work ahead of schedule—a feat that forced Dream Drive organizers to hustle.

“We thought, ‘Oh, they’re opening,’” says Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta. “They caught us by surprise—in a good way.”

They pulled together enough vehicles and planned both the route and events along the way in just eight weeks.

“We thought it would be a nice symbolic gesture,” Beteta explains.

Thursday morning also offered an opportunity to pitch California tourism to a world audience. Print and television journalists from across the U.S. and from 13 countries attended the morning ceremonies and took part in the ride. A featured international guest was Craig Lowndes, a three-time champion of the Australian V8 Supercar series. Lowndes has also taken the checkered flag six times at the Bathurst 1000. On Thursday, he piloted a 1970 Corvette.

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca CEO Tim McGrane describes the procession as “one lap around what we think is the greatest track in the world before a ride on the greatest highway in the world.”

California Highway Patrol officers escorted the convoy.

In addition to track officials, Caltrans, AAA and county officials took part in the ceremonies.