"The Woodward Dream Cruise May Be the World's Most Egalitarian, Democratic Event"

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Wow! More egalitarian than the Marquette County Fair baking competition? More democratic than the contest to name the Pontiac G8 ST? I guess we've got to forgive Detroit Free Press cheerleader Mark Phelan for doing what he does best (as far as we know). And I suppose writing negatively about "the Cruise" (how str8 is that?) would be the very definition of "churlish." But forgive me for saying that Woodward's panoply of pistonheads isn't exactly my cup of leaded gasoline. It's just too painful to see so much rolling proof that a once-proud American industry has joined Fonzie in the Shark-Jumping Hall of Fame. The fact that Paul Eisenstein (my good pal from The Car Connection) has glommed-on to the event with an alt power parade does nothing to convince me that Detroit's glory days lie ahead. "'If it's loud and fast, it's good,' said 19-year-old Alex Bui of White Lake Township. He planned to cruise in his tuned 2006 Honda Civic." And there you have it.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • The duke The duke on Aug 17, 2008

    Robert, I'm going to have to agree with holydonut and jamie1 on this one. I was down on Woodward on Wednesday and Saturday night, and had a ton of fun. Its normal people, enjoying their old cars in the street, for the one week that noise ordinances and "displays of speed" don't seem to be on the cops radar. I do think you need to lighten up just a little on this one. Where else will you see Ferraris, Fords, and the Fast and Furious crowds out together having fun forgetting they usually all hate each other? That right there could create peace in the middle east (ok, maybe not). Now what you said about just being reminded of the US auto-industries once proud stance was true; I saw so many late sixties and early seventies mopars that I loved, then realized not much in their [Chrysler's] current stable is exiting. But whereas I'm just a sideliner, perhaps the actual auto execs that stroll down will notice the same thing, and given a glimpse of a glorious past be challenged to do something about the future. Speaking of Mopars, I am the only one who thought the percentage of Mopars on Woodward was highly disproportionate to the number of them actually sold (compared to Ford and GM) back in the day? Not that I'm complaining, but it did seem odd.

  • Raskolnikov Raskolnikov on Aug 17, 2008

    I'll go out on a limb and say the cruise is better off without certain people. Let the true enthusiasts come out and enjoy the spectacle; the haters can sit at home and enjoy women's handball on NBC.

  • Scottie Scottie on Aug 17, 2008

    I too was at the Dream Cruise, I'm never going back Birmingham or Royal Oak for the Dream cruise again. It sucked, people were cruising in Golf carts that looked like classics, the right lanes were full of 2000 Chevy Impalas and Chevy Uplanders, along with other cars nobody cares about. People in ghey stock jeeps covered with every chrome accessory you can get for TJ were cruising. The dream cruise has lost its soul, its not about cars, its a carnival. Next year i'll probably try out Pontiac, or just drive up to Flint where the cars are parked and you can look at them on the Bricks.

  • Capeplates Capeplates on Aug 18, 2008

    Whoever dreamed up the colour scheme for that car must have been on one hell of a trip - Yuk

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