Captivated by the Cruise – The Oakland Press

All Saturday, traffic on Woodward Avenue held repeated visual delights for car lovers lining the sidewalks.

In what has to be one of the most-inclusive car shows in the world, the Dream Cruise is a blend of regular Saturday traffic intermingling with souped-up dune buggies and muscle cars, Classic VW Bugs, brightly colored Trans Ams and perfectly restored Model Ts, lots of Mustangs and other collectible vehicles rolling along Woodward from Ferndale to Pontiac’s loop, and heading south again.

Some drivers couldn’t resist burning a little rubber, the smoke from overheated tires mingling with the scent of grilled meat on portable barbecues all along the route.

Despite the threat of thunderstorms, hundreds of people turned out starting at 7:30 a.m. to stand or sit, either on a blanket on the ground or lawn chairs, to eyeball the passing cars.

Some drivers tooted their horns to get attention.

Beyond sidewalks and on wider grassy medians, people parked their classics, erected canopies, pup tents and other portable shade devices or simply sat or stood along the walks, to get a good view of the traffic.

Many parked campers or recreational vehicles behind their collectible cars, including Ike Jones of Pontiac. The GM retiree brought five beauties from his collection: a ‘79 Bonneville, a red-and-black three-wheeled motorcycle, the Polaris Slingshot Pontiac Social roadster, a ‘57 Lincoln and a ‘96 Mustang

“I’m not in a car club. I just like old cars,” he said.

About a block away, Waterford residents Rick Upson and his son Gaven Upson sat in lawn chairs under a canopy near Rick’s 1981 bubble-gum pink Trans AM.

“It’s been that color for probably 20 years now,” Rick Upson said as other cars roared by on Woodward.”

His brother-in-law found it at the first Dream Cruise and bought it in ‘96, later selling it to Rick.

“We’ve had it ever since,” Rick Upson said. “I just love the style of the car. Smokey and the Bandit was my favorite show and this is my favorite car.”

Pontiac resident Devin Hamilton, 33, brought his 1987 luxury sport Monte Carlo with 125,000 miles on it,

from someone in North Carolina two years ago. He’s been having fun customizing ever since. He repainted it black, added red pin stripes, changed the roof from ragtop to hard top, adding a hood scoop and 24-inch bright red Rucci wheel covers with floating caps that spin as he drives along.

“It’s just a good everyday car,” he said.

Clotilde Escobar joined family and friends at one end of the GM retirees car show. He told The Oakland Press he’s never missed the Dream Cruise and encourages out-of-state family and friends to make the trip. On Friday, he steered his 1960 Impala, which he’s owned since 1973, from his Lake Orion home to Pontiac. Saturday, he arrived at the cruise in his GMC Sierra pickup, but had a framed photo of the Impala, which he called his “baby,” along for the ride.

Pontiac resident Rupert O’Brien, UAW Local 5960 retirees’ chairperson, brought his 1956 mint-green Cadillac to the Grace Centers of Hope fundraiser. The union’s 4,000 retirees include between 40 and 50 who are active classic car collectors, O’Brien said.

For years, they paid $35 per car to rent spaces from the city. This year, the options cost between $600 and $2,000, so O’Brien and his fellow retirees made a $400 donation to Grace Centers of Hope so they could show their classics.

Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel led a Saturday morning Pontiac-specific Woodward Dream parade, which he described as “a curated assembly of high-end, unique vehicles from car clubs across the country.”

He said the route from the M1 Concourse through downtown included Saginaw Street and “gives people yet another reason to prioritize a visit to Pontiac on Dream Cruise weekend.”

Organizers estimate that in some years, the cruise has drawn as many as 1.5 million people. It appeared that attendance was down this year, but the event still drew a sizable crowd. Because of incidents at large gatherings in other states, police increased attention to security.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard used Twitter to explain that it’s no coincidence if people noticed more helicopter traffic. He said he works with police chiefs throughout the county to coordinate Operation Overwatch, to watch out for any threats.

“We will do all in our power to keep our community safe,” he wrote.

Anyone paying attention to the southern corner outside the M1 Concourse spotted a Sheriff’s armored SWAT vehicle, with two attentive deputies. Any kids interested in checking out the vehicle were allowed inside to look around, but the deputies were on stand-by duty.

The Ferndale Fire Department maintains a presence at the cruise every year, using the cruise to educate the public about how to stay safe.

From a booth at Nine Mile Road and Woodward, Garett Smith and John Derra, both Ferndale firefighters/paramedics, passed out coloring books for children that had safety tips and magnetized medical data booklets that they recommend adults fill out and tack to their refrigerator.

“That way, if you’re unconscious when we come in, we know your history,” Smith said.

This year’s crowds may have been affected by the threat of thunderstorms later in the day, but during the morning, car lovers gazed at traffic under sunny skies with a mix of clouds and mild temperatures.

Most people told The Oakland Press they planned to stay along the route as long as possible Saturday, well after 9 p.m.

Doug Berwick, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, used a lawn chair and had little else for his first-ever trip to the Dream Cruise, which he’d just learned about earlier this year. He owns Mustangs and is looking for a Cobra.

“I’m just enjoying the variety of cars. It’s a great display,” he said. “People are really friendly here.”