Skip to Main Content

Woodward Dream Cruisin'

By Lea Wojciechowski Ross, Blogger for Dotten Collision ~ August 25, 2017

On August 19th, more than one million viWoodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - woodward_signsitors and more than 50,000 out-of-the-ordinary vehicles graced the lanes of Woodward Avenue (Facebook, 2017).

The Woodward Dream Cruise, a celebration of “car culture” at its finest, claims the honored title of the world’s largest one-day auto event.  The Woodward Dream Cruise was founded on August 1st, 1995, when Nelson House, a plumber from Ferndale who wanted to raise money to build a soccer field for kids in his community, and a team of volunteers found a way to “relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the '50s and '60s, when youth, music and Motor City steel roamed Woodward Avenue, America’s first highway” (Detroit News, 2016).  The inaugural Cruise in 1995 drew 250,000 people, and today the event annually attracts over one million people and tens of thousands of classic cars from all over the United States – and from all over the world.

Woodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - 20170818_181458The Cruise spans Woodward Ave from Pontiac through Ferndale and down to the north end of Detroit.  From my vantage point outside Shrine of the Little Flower at 12 Mile and Woodward in Royal Oak, I could see hot rods, muscle cars, convertibles, custom designs, uniquely painted exteriors, oversized tires, trolley streetcars, collector cars, a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts cruiser (that gave away free doughnuts!), and countless other classics.  I could hear rock and roll, beeping horns, revving engines, and shouts of admiration and enthusiasm.  I could smell the fumes, the wind, the heat.  It was an incredible scene, truly the sounds and sights and smells of a car-loving city.

Anyone, no matter how much or how little of a car enthusiast, can enjoy this annual experience held on the third Saturday of August.  People drive along Woodward, windows down, music blaring, everyone in high spirits as they enjoy the sunshine and the view of the classics driving alongside them.  People walk the sidewalks, getting a closer view of the cars as they pass, examining the classics parked in designated lots, and soaking in the entire experience of car culture on a beautiful summer Saturday.                  

Woodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - articleI can’t help but wonder – 20 or 50 years from now, which of today’s cars will be considered the “new classics”?  Will any of today’s cars make the cut as the vehicles that our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren will ooh and ahh over?  Or maybe we will continue to see the “old classics” of the 50s, 60s, and 70s (as the real car enthusiasts seem keen on carefully maintaining) along with the cool, custom designs of the current decade.  One thing is sure: Detroit will always have a thriving car culture!

                                                 Image credit: Speed Bump 8/17/2017 

 

Woodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - 20170818_181435Woodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - 20170819_100728Woodward Dream Cruisin' - Blog - Dotten Collision 2021 - 20170819_100917
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Be a defensive driver, not an offensive one

By Lea Wojciechowski Ross, Blogger for Dotten Collision ~ April 26, 2017 I once heard that police officers are the best drivers not so much because they know how to drive well, but primarily because they are so trained to look out for the...

Silent night, holy night

By Lea Wojciechowski Ross, Blogger for Dotten Collision ~ December 24, 2016 Our society doesn’t do so well with silence.  We often measure ourselves and others in terms of what we do and what we get done – we value...

Join BNI and watch your business grow

By Lea Wojciechowski Ross, Blogger for Dotten Collision ~ May 13, 2016 Do you want your business to grow by leaps and bounds?  Do you want to be better known and more trusted than your competitors?  Are you looking for a new...

Guilty of distracted driving?

By Lea Wojciechowski Ross, Blogger for Dotten Collision ~ April 28, 2016 Have you ever made a phone call or sent a text while behind the wheel?  Have you eaten a quick dinner, checked directions on a map, broken up a fight between the...

Welcome to Our New Website!

We've added great new features and updated our content to bring you the most up to date information about our company.  Check back often for updates.