I’ve been making the run between Central and Southern Illinois a lot lately – Son Number One is hot and heavy in the middle of remuddling their rent-free* trailer/house and I’ve been spending a weekend here and there helping out. From I-74, I have the option of taking either I-57 past Champaign, or I-55 almost to St. Louis, where I pick up I-64 – it was this route I chose on my last trip, and I had time in the schedule for a brief stop by Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, a genuine Roadside Attraction located on Historic Route 66.
*in return for keeping the farm property mowed and buildings repaired, etc.
Established around 1999/2000 (according to what info I could find online – the Ranch was closed by the time I arrived in the late afternoon), the attraction was originally named for the furry, four-legged rabbits that the proprietor’s daughter had started raising until the maths caught up with her (60+ at the peak) and her father offered to take over. The four-wheeled Rabbits were added as an Installation sometime later, and are of course a nod to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. I won’t even attempt to guess each car’s vintage…
In case a curious visitor is not intimately familiar with the Mk1 Rabbit (Golf for you non-Yanks), one is conveniently parked near the road on ramps – sans engine. The metal bumper places this in the 1974-80 model year timeframe, but I am not familiar enough with lessor details to pin it down to a specific year. Have at it in the comments, though.
A few more Rabbits are tucked away on the backside of the installation, perhaps awaiting interment.
You of course noticed the Squareback, which apparently belonged to Bob Waldmire, who elsewhere has been described as “Route 66′s roving ambassador and resident hippie.” Waldmire apparently spent over three decades wandering Route 66 in a 1972 VW van (microbus), which, incidentally, was the inspiration for the character Fillmore in the movie Cars.
There’s more to see at the Rabbit Ranch than the Rabbits (or rabbits), but I was unfortunately only able to grab a few photos of the reproduction filling station (with a deliciously patinaed Chevy pickup parked behind the pumps), and some old roadside motel signs.
Perhaps of more interest to some of our readers is this mid-1970s GMC Astro cab-over-engine (COE) road tractor hitched up to a Campbell 66 Express “Humpin’ to Please” trailer (I remember seeing these occasionally when I was young).
Given that the Rabbit Ranch is only ten minutes off I-55, I’ll probably try to stop again sometime when they’re open. The owner is supposed to be friendly and an expert on Route 66 history, which would make for a pleasant diversion on my way down.
There’s one more reason to make the stop, and it’s right across the highway from the RR: Country Classic Cars. They, too, were closed, so all I got was one long-range shot from the gate: many more unrestored cars are parked along the fence bordering I-57 awaiting some CC love!
Related reading: Curbside Classic: 1975 VW Golf Mk1/Rabbit – The Most Influential Modern Global Compact Car
Is that a ’39 Buick parked between the two Chevy (55/56 and 53/54, respectively) pickups?
No idea. I’m looking forward to hitting it when they’re open.
Sounds like a fun trip .
I always love to take the ‘ Blue Roads ‘ and sightsee .
-Nate
My Rabbits were both 1984 vintage, and they had the chromed aluminum bumpers and wide taillights like the one on the ramps. I don’t know the exact year that they switched to the wider taillights, but I think it was newer than 1980.
I wonder then if the minor facelift in 1980 included molded black bumpers only on non-US market cars? Anyone know for sure? My reference info was sketchy at best.
I had a 1978 Rabbit (Dakota Beige like the one on the ramp) and I think it had different tail lights. I want to say that the lights on mine were not as wide, that is more square than rectangular. Of course I’m relying on memory and it has been 30 years since the Rabbit was traded so who really knows. I want to say that the side marker lights on mine were smaller than these as well. I may have pictures of my Rabbit somewhere at home; if I have time I will try and locate them.
Thanks for the tour. Loved the old signage for the Chicago Motor Club. We had a similar sticker on the back bumper of our 64 Cutlass when I was a kid.
So, as I understand it, the furry rabbits are gone, but the metal ones continue to multiply?
They still have around 20 or so, and “manage” the population now (“Have your pets spayed or neutered!”).
The wide tailamps came out in 1981, along with the turnsignals in the fenders instead of the bumpers. In 1979 the US built Rabbits had the black framed side markers turned up on their ends. They also had rectangular headlamps. Diesel Rabbits in 79 were still German built, and still had round headlamps and early style side markers. They also had better interiors and paint. I believe but am not sure in 1982 the steel bumpers and gas filled bumper mounts were replaced with steel brackets and aluminum bumpers, as the 5mph law was changed to 2 1/2 mph protection requirements. Convertible Rabbits stayed with small tailamps, round headlamps and early markers. Later Cabriolets (called this after the Rabbit name went away in 1985) did go with plastic bumper covers. The display car is probably a 1981 since it has steel bumpers and wide tailamps.
Even though Car & Driver hated the first American built Rabbits, and called them “Malibu-ized” i.e. made to resemble current era Chevy Malibus, I love them!
“From I-74, I have the option of taking either I-57 down through Bloomington, or I-55 almost to St. Louis…”
Being from IL, I do have to point out that I-57 doesn’t run “through” the Bloomington-Normal area. Also, it was not run along the old US 66 path, that is I-55.
I-57 runs along with US 45 through the eastern side of IL from Chicago to Cairo IL.
“… Rabbit Ranch is only ten minutes off I-57…”
The Rabbit Ranch is in Staunton, IL along I-55, not I-57.
You are, of course, correct (“I’m not from around here”). Must have had a synaptic siesta when I typed that. Fixed.
VW called their FWD effort Citygolf here and to prove it I found one appearing on the cohort soon.
We just had Golf here- calling it Rabbit would be like calling it Kudzu in the U.S, or Possum in N.Z…
Country Classic Cars is an absolutely amazing place. I drive past there countless times a month for work and always slow my truck down to ogle at all the great cars. Acres of classic iron, just off the highway at exit 41.
That Astro 95 makes me want slap on my cowboy hat and just sit up there talking to myself on the broken CB.