Q: How do I contact OpenAir Tours?
Tour Hotline: (262) 922-4062
Our Mailing Address: OpenAir Tours – P.O. Box 5532 Madison, WI 53705-0532
Our Email Addresses: info@openairtours.com for general information
Q: I’ve never been on a car tour. I don’t belong to any club. I just happen to like cars. Do you think I’ll enjoy it?
A: Yes, this tour is perfect for you! OpenAir Tours was designed to be fun for everyone, whether you’re an experienced club and rally fan or just like cars. Most of our tour participants do not belong to any other club. The one thing we have in common is the belief that cars are for driving…and this tour is what convertibles are made for!
Q: Will there be difficult routes and instructions? What if I get lost?
A: We provide clear and easy to follow routes along with maps and check points. If by some odd chance you get lost, just pull out the map and find a good route. No worries, mate! We’ll see you there!
Q: What kind of “backroads” do you take? Are they paved?
A: We’re very careful to keep you and your “baby” (ie: car) on good roads. We plan only paved roads and try to ensure that we don’t encounter road construction. While changes do happen, we do our best to “stay smooth.”
Q:What about meals and lodging? Do I have to stay at the tour hotels?
A: Meals and lodging are on your own. At the request of past participants, we’ve arranged for a “headquarters hotel”, which is the official choice of the tour organizers and “official hotels” which offer good alternatives in price, style and service. Ask for OpenAir rates. Stay anywhere you prefer. Thursday evening typically begins with a banquet. For other meals, we work with host communities to provide a list of restaurant suggestions. It’s a good opportunity to form a group, or just head off on your own.
Q: Do I have to attend all four days? Can I just come for one or two days?
A: You do not have to go all four days, but to best enjoy the tour we recommend that you do. People who have come for just a day or two always wind up regretting that they had to miss a part of the excitement. The registration fee stays the same.
Q: What kind of cars are on the tour?
A: Virtually every make and vintage – so long as it is a convertible. You’ll see great 60s and 70s cars like the Mustangs, Firebirds, Camaros and SS Chevies. You’ll also find more exotic sports cars like Ferraris, Porsches, and BMWs. We’ve had great classics like 1930s Cords, a Highlander and Ford Skyliners. We get a nice bunch of VWs, Cadillacs, Miatas, MGs, Corvettes, Buicks, Olds, Chryslers, Mustangs – and lots of others. We’ve had HumVees and a Dodge Dakota truck convertible.
Q: Where are you going next year?
A: That’s a great question! To be honest we (likely) don’t know yet. OAC Members are invited every January to join us at our mid-winter gathering in Madison for the OpenAir Conditioner where we enjoy camaraderie, speakers, sometimes a show, a mini “convertibles optional” tour leading up to our Saturday afternoon luncheon where destination speculation runs rampant right before we make the big announcement. All current members receive an email notification of our destination with hotel info shortly after the event.
Q: The tour is called the OpenAir Classic. Do I have to own a Classic or antique car?
A: Any convertible of any vintage or make is welcome on this tour. It’s a “classic tour” in the sense that it embodies all the most enjoyable elements of convertible touring: great roads, topless cars, wonderful people and an appreciation for the good life.
Q: You say the tour is limited to 200 cars. Why?
A: We limit the number of entries to 200 cars because that keeps our size manageable as we visit some of the out-of-the-way treasures of travel and headquarter in friendly medium or small communities. If you become an OAC Member, OpenAir Tours will guarantee you a spot on the tour if you register during the exclusive Members Only Registration Period (MORP).
Q: Some friends of mine who have a convertible would like to join. Should I invite them?
A: Absolutely! One of the reasons this is such a friendly bunch is that our participants know others who, like themselves, enjoy topless cruising with good people. In addition, for every first-time participant who registers and indicates on their form who referred them to the event, we give the participant who referred them a chance to win a special “Referral Thank You Prize”.
Q: Can you list what I get for my registration fee?
A: A simple list of “what you get” doesn’t really convey the fun of the tour (see above) but to enumerate, you receive:
- Entry for one convertible with a Driver and Navigator.
- Name badges for Driver and Navigator and special OpenAir Car number.
- A spot on the 200-car starting grid.
- Two limited-edition artist-designed T-shirts.
- Admission for Driver and Navigator to group meal functions.
- Detailed turn-by-turn instructions for all driving tours.
- Participation in checkpoint games.
- Entry in special prize drawings.
- Entry in the drawing for the “Grand Prize” (you must have participated all four days to be eligible)
- Opportunity to win special awards for Member’s Favorite Car in show and other Topless Spirit awards.
- Access to special OpenAir Classic Hotel room blocks and rates.
- Admission for Driver and Navigator to special OpenAir Classic entertainment.
- A collectible OpenAir Tour dash plaque.
- Area tour guides and maps.
- Listing in the OpenAir Guide to participants.
- Access to special OpenAir logo merchandise.
- The OpenAir Classic commemorative DVD which contains video and pictures from all four days.
- Four days of exhilarating convertible living and cruising with great people on exciting roads through beautiful country.
In short – THIS is what convertibles were made for!