It's time once again for the world's biggest and best classic car show:

[Lefty48197]

The biggest and best classic car show in the world.

If you love classic cars, then you'll want to make sure that you make it to Detroit's "Woodward Dream Cruise" at least once in your lifetime. Consider it a pilgrimage, appropriately, to "The Motor City". The show happens on the third Saturday of August each year. This year's show is three days away and will be the eleventh.
The "official" Cruise day is on Saturday, but the cruisers have been out there every single night this week. The bars and restaurants are packed and people are lined up and down Woodward in lawnchairs in the afternoons and evenings every night for about one week PRIOR to the cruise! The show before the show is that good!
It all started when a group of Classic Car Cruisers formed a little charity event to raise money for a children's soccer field. Today, the show attracts about 40,000 classic cars of every make, model, year, and color, and the curbsides of Woodward Ave are lined with about 1.5 million spectators.
The show starts at Detroit's northern border at 8 Mile Rd. and runs sixteen miles through several communities all the way up to Pontiac, Michigan. The heart of the show seems to be between 11 and 16 Mile Rds, with the 13/14 Mile Rd. area being the most heavily concentrated.
It's the coolest traffic jam you'll ever be in! Every space in every parking lot along Woodward is occupied by a classic, as is every stretch of grass along the way. My advice is to get there early, and cruise up and down Woodward and see what catches your eye. By 11 a.m. or so, the street jams up, and traffic moves about one mile per hour in some areas. The two outside lands are reserved for the classic cars, while others are allowed to use the two inner lanes.
If you really want to indulge, then plan on spending an entire week in the area.
The whole thing looks like a 16 mile scene right out of American Graffitti. Ladies are decked out in poodle skirts, and the guys grease up their DA's. You'll never see so many people in their 50's and 60's having so much fun at one time...
When the crowd starts to pick up, I like to park in Birmingham and catch the Cobra and Corvette club displays near 15 Mile. The show out in front of the cemetery down by 12 Mile is always great too.
You will see more of the most beautiful original vehicles you have ever seen in your life, in one place. You'll see more hot rods and you'll see some of the most bizzarre vehicles you'll ever see. Last year I saw a few three wheels cars and one four wheel motorcycle. The garbage truck limo was there. I've seen the 57 Chevy, the Corvette, and the VW Beetle limos in years past.
The best car I saw last year was the VW Beetle whose body had been replaced by the neatest wrought iron, curly Q design I have ever seen. The iron was in the same shape as a Beetle body, and it was painted bright yellow. Quite an eyeful.

Here's a few photos from the last couple of shows:

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. MrG loves classic cars, but can't stand the Dream Cruise.

We go to Eddie's on Jefferson on Saturday nights to see smaller amounts of classic cars.

I used to work at Webster and Woodward and it was irritating as heck. That and the fact that all the news channels talk about that all the time. Call me an Eastsider, but I don't see the draw. :hi:

[querelle]

2. 73 Buick Riviera

Not a classic, but I've always liked it.

Q

[lizziegrace]

3. A member of my family

[Throd]

4. Got any Oldsmobile photos from the event?

I love my Rockets!

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. ...

Weird, because I was just looking at this picture when I saw your post.

[Throd]

6. Schweeeeeeeeet!

Thank you.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Nash Metropolitan

Always my favorite, though not big by any stretch of the imagination

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. Wish I had this old French car

1952 Delahaye:

[seemunkee]

9. So many Cobras, drooool

absolutely my favorite car

OK, maybe not as good as the Maserati birdcage but their more affordable

[Lefty48197]

10. Thanks to the Motor City Cobra Club

they have about 40 of them in their display.

[BlueJazz]

11. I'm sure the people (like me) who read your post also laugh.....

...or smirk at the modern commercials that show people turning their heads
and admiring the latest, bestest and newest offerings from the auto-makers.

I remember a time when each year brought an exciting change in design and
innovation for cars.

Nowadays most of the "Styles" are just BORING.. :)