Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

Route 66: The Unique Wigwam Motel and its Teepee-Shaped Rooms

Obtain the best financial rate for your car loan at Automobile En DirectTecnic
Daniel Rufiange
The Wigwam Motel was part of a chain at the time. There are only two such establishments left on Route 66
Volkswagen Beetle  ??
Volkswagen Beetle ?? | Photo: D.Rufiange

This is perhaps the most original of the vehicles used as decoration in front of the Wigwam’s teepees.

1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass
1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass | Photo: D.Rufiange

Each teepee rests on a base with a diameter of 14 feet and rises to 32 feet. Surprisingly, the rooms are more spacious than they look from the outside. Above all, the stone walls insulate occupants well from outside noise, especially that generated by passing trains; the railroad track is only a few metres from the motel.

Hudson Hornet (early 1950s)
Hudson Hornet (early 1950s) | Photo: D.Rufiange

It’s wholly appropriate that we should find a Hudson Hornet in front of one of the rooms of the Wigwam. Why? Because it’s one of the main cars featured in the movie Cars.

Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists