Before my recent visit to the small Mediterranean island of Malta, my colleagues advised me in advance to pay close attention to the iconic Maltese buses. Although they are being phased out of the public transportation system, they will certainly not be forgotten. Bus enthusiasts on a shopping spree in Valletta, the capital city and a UNESCO Heritage site itself, will be the first to spot the recurring motif of the bygone bus on postcards, key chains, refrigerator magnets and mouse pads, just to name a few of the souvenirs.

Restoring a vintage 1920s tour bus has become a labor of love for Herman Jones, owner of Mount Rushmore Tours in Rapid City, South Dakota. Jones first had the idea to restore an old bus back in 1970. Through the years Jones had refurbished a 1932 Ford five-window vehicle with a rumble seat that had been given to him in the 1960s, but he really wanted to restore a bus. He had seen a number of photos of original 1920s rag-top, 15-seat passenger tour buses that hauled passengers in the nearby Black Hills region.