{"id":34874,"date":"2025-08-16T20:44:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T00:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34874"},"modified":"2025-08-16T20:44:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T00:44:05","slug":"dream-cruiser-engines-roar-over-the-purr-of-daily-commuters-on-woodward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/dream-cruiser-engines-roar-over-the-purr-of-daily-commuters-on-woodward","title":{"rendered":"Dream Cruiser engines roar over the purr of daily commuters on Woodward"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Ferndale<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 The sun rose with a roar on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The sounds of engines slowly filled the air at 6.30 a.m. as a cornucopia of Cruisers came onto Woodward at Eight Mile to begin the Woodward Dream Cruise. The rumble of push-rod Chevy V-8s, the menacing gurgle of Mustang V-8s, the high-pitched wail of Subaru WRX 4-bangers, the snap-crackle-pop of modified exhaust systems layered over the purr of daily commuter traffic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lang Ware and his friend Steve Daniels sat on the sidewalk in front of the Magic Bag music venue on the east side of Woodward soaking it all in with their Mustang GTs.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_ar_b_sp\">More:\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_sp_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/business\/autos\/woodward-dream-cruise\/2025\/08\/15\/all-hail-detroits-golden-age-metal-memories-at-30th-dream-cruise\/85665296007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|spike click:3|\u2691u\">All hail Detroit&#8217;s &#8216;Golden Age&#8217;: metal, memories at 30th Dream Cruise<\/a><\/aside>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691083007-20250816-dgdreamcruise-0988.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Professional pin-up girl Carla Colbeck, of Sterling Heights, poses for a photo in a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado owned by Mike Hardin, of West Bloomfield, during the Woodward Dream Cruise, in Birmingham, August 16, 2025.\" width=\"539\" height=\"359\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>Professional pin-up girl Carla Colbeck, of Sterling Heights, poses for a photo in a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado owned by Mike Hardin, of West Bloomfield, during the Woodward Dream Cruise, in Birmingham, August 16, 2025.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>David Guralnick, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been coming here every year for about 10 years,\u201d said Ware next to his 2014 Ford Mustang GT with the license plate BDPENNY hung out the back. \u201cWe eat breakfast at the Hambol Coney and then watch the sun rise before cruising up Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">BDPENNY is a reference to his unique, \u201cBad Penny\u201d modified Mustang that debuted at the 2014 SEMA car show in Las Vegas. The unique build was screwed together by CDC in Milford and includes engine, suspension and body mods \u2013 including a pair of copper penny medallions aft of each front wheel. \u201cI always liked custom cars and this is my second Mustang,\u201d said Ware who wore a Woodward T-shirt emblazoned with prototype race car.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690137007-dream-cruise-sat-25-breakfastmustangs.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Lang Ware and Steve Daniels (right) with their Ford Mustang GTs.\" width=\"511\" height=\"288\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><em>Ferndale &#8211; Lang Ware and Steve Daniels (right) with their Ford Mustang GTs. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Ferndale - Lang Ware and Steve Daniels (right) with their Ford Mustang GTs.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Not to be outdone, Daniels\u2019 2018 Mustang GT is as orange as the rising sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI first saw this car at a Mustang Alley Dream Cruise display \u2013 flipped sideways,\u201d said Daniels of the Ford display that anchors this end of Woodward every year. \u201cI told myself that I was going to get that car. Now it has 230,000 miles on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The muscle car looks brand new despite its miles of use \u2013 including with winter tires thrown on to weather Detroit\u2019s brutal winters.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">English beauty returns<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Royal Oak<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Kevin Livingston of Farmington Hills made sure British autos were also represented at the Dream Cruise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">At a park on the corner of Woodward and 13 Mile \u2014 in a sea of angular, mean-looking American classics \u2014 sat a comparatively petite 1958 Austin-Healey. The curvaceous coupe was a two-tone: the majority of the body \u201cFlorida Green,\u201d with creamy \u201cOld English White\u201d on the sides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">No big fan of car shows, Livingston said the Dream Cruise is the only one he routinely attends.\u201cThis show, you get so many different people, it\u2019s fun chatting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690756007-austin-healy.png?width=660&amp;height=477&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Kevin Livingston showed off his 1958 Austin-Healey at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" width=\"519\" height=\"375\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Kevin Livingston showed off his 1958 Austin-Healey at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" data-c-credit=\"Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Kevin Livingston showed off his 1958 Austin-Healey at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As passersby marveled at the machine, Livingston noted it wasn\u2019t always in such pristine shape. When he bought it in 2011, it had been sitting in a garage for 44 years, largely dissembled and stripped of its paint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He never knew the original owner, but bought it off their son.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">His best guess is the original owner was one of a group of World War II veterans who bought \u201csportier\u201d European cars while stationed overseas after the war, and had them shipped back for \u201cbasically free\u201d to the U.S.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Livingston said cars like his were seen as exotic in the U.S., and sought for their smooth handling when the American cars of the era \u201chandled like a brick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">After finishing a meticulous restoration job in 2014, Livingston debuted his English beauty at the Dream Cruise. He happened to run into the original owner\u2019s son, and took both of them for a cruise on Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The owner\u2019s son \u201chad never rode in the car,\u201d Livingston said, but was \u201cthrilled\u201d when he got the opportunity more than five decades after the car was built, and an ocean away from its birthplace.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691972007-0816-kk-dream-cruise-04.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Car enthusiasts line up along Woodward Avenue to watch the 2025 Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 in Royal Oak.\" width=\"539\" height=\"359\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Car enthusiasts line up along Woodward Avenue to watch the 2025 Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 in Royal Oak.\" data-c-credit=\"Katy Kildee, The Detroit News\">\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>Car enthusiasts line up along Woodward Avenue to watch the 2025 Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 in Royal Oak.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Katy Kildee, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Mustang Alley a feast for the eyes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Ferndale &#8211;<\/em>\u00a0Three gigantic activations on the Woodard route anchor the Dream Cruise like giant chain stores in a mall: M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Memorial Park at 13 Mile, and Mustang Alley at Como\u2019s Restaurant and Nine Mile. You could just walk these displays all day and get fat on eye candy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The latter consolidated Ford\u2019s forces from Kruse &amp; Muer at Catalpa Road into one mega-show this year and it. Is. Awesome.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691294007-dream-cruise-sat-2025-mustangalleymache.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Mustang Super Mach-E Pike Peak attack machine. In Mustang Alley.\" width=\"523\" height=\"295\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Ferndale - Mustang Super Mach-E Pike Peak attack machine. In Mustang Alley.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Ferndale &#8211; Mustang Super Mach-E Pike Peak attack machine. In Mustang Alley. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Dogleg east on Nine Mile from Woodward and you\u2019d better take a case of water as the display sprawls all the way to Canada. Check out Ford\u2019s array of production and performance vehicles including the gazillion-horsepower Mustang Super Mach-E Pikes Peak assault vehicle that boasts a Formula One-like 6,900 pound pf downforce.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\">\n<p><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Also notable is the RTR display that shows off some of drifter champ Vaughn Gittin Jr.\u2019s Mustang creations including the first RTR-branded production car. It\u2019s still in camouflage, but we think it\u2019s the next-gen turbo-4 performance model. The RTR badge has enthusiasts buzzing that Gittin is the new Carrol Shelby \u2013 a racing genius who will be supercharging Ford cars for years to come.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691295007-dream-cruise-sat-2025-mustang-alleyrtr.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Mustang Alley and the RTR display.\" width=\"538\" height=\"303\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><em>Ferndale &#8211; Chris Willis, Chicago, with his 2021 Ford Mustang GT500. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Speaking of Shelby, the most powerful Shelby ever made \u2013 the 760-horsepower GT500 \u2013 is represented, and nowhere more spectacularly than Chris Willis\u2019 yellow, carbon-trimmed beat. He trailered it in from Chicago were does track days at Road America and Autobahn race tracks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe raise money for the \u2018Cruise with a Cause\u2019 charity that RTR helps with also,\u201d he said. His GT500 will fetch classic money someday: it\u2019s the pre-production VIN #1 model for the 2021 production year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691343007-dream-cruise-sat-2025-gt-500.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Chris Willis, Chicago, with his 2021 Ford Mustang GT500\" width=\"529\" height=\"298\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Ferndale - Chris Willis, Chicago, with his 2021 Ford Mustang GT500\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Ferndale &#8211; Chris Willis, Chicago, with his 2021 Ford Mustang GT500. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Dodge Hellcat shows Lions pride<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Royal Oak<\/em>\u00a0<em>&#8211;<\/em>\u00a0A Dodge Hellcat turned heads for a brief spell on Woodward in Royal Oak in the early afternoon for a couple reasons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It announced its presence before it was in sight for some with heavy bass pumping out of its speaker. With the car windows down, passerby were treated to a taste of V.I.C\u2019s 2008 club hit \u201cWobble Baby.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">While the blaring music was attention-grabbing enough, it was the car\u2019s paint job that really stole the show.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691749007-screenshot-20250816-141601.png?width=660&amp;height=499&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A Honolulu blue Detroit Lions logo and graphic of the city\u2019s skyline were emblazoned on the side of a Dodge Hellcat at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" width=\"532\" height=\"402\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"A Honolulu blue Detroit Lions logo and graphic of the city\u2019s skyline were emblazoned on the side of a Dodge Hellcat at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" data-c-credit=\"Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>A Honolulu blue Detroit Lions logo and graphic of the city\u2019s skyline were emblazoned on the side of a Dodge Hellcat at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A Honolulu blue Detroit Lions logo and graphic of the city\u2019s skyline were emblazoned on its side, offsetting a darker shade of blue covering the rest of the car\u2019s exterior.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Silver rims and cursive flourishes further accented the bold vehicle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s hard to imagine a Detroit Lions Dodge would have rolled down the Woodward Dream Cruise so unabashedly during the majority of years in its three decade history.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Gateway to racing<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Royal Oak &#8211;<\/em>\u00a0Gary Godola brought his 1987 Reynard Formula Ford open-wheel race car to Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Parked in front of the Superlap SIM racing store just south of the Vinsetta Garage and Catalpa Road, the FF recently competed at the SCCA Nationals on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and was a constant source of conversation for Cruise attendees, especially young fans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe use the Dream Cruise to gain awareness for the world of racing,\u201d said the board member of Waterford Hills Raceway. \u201cNot just people looking to get into driving, but also corner workers and mechanics.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690143007-dream-cruise-sat-25-waterford-hills.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Royal Oak - Gary Godola (left) with Alex Della Torre at the Waterford Hills exhibit on Woodward. Godola races the Reynard Formula Ford (foreground).\" width=\"539\" height=\"304\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Royal Oak - Gary Godola (left) with Alex Della Torre at the Waterford Hills exhibit on Woodward. Godola races the Reynard Formula Ford (foreground).\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Royal Oak &#8211; Gary Godola (left) with Alex Della Torre at the Waterford Hills exhibit on Woodward. Godola races the Reynard Formula Ford (foreground). Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Godola and racer friends Andrew Mallory and Alex Della Torre have worked the Detroit Grand Prix as corner workers, one of many ways entrees into the sprawling motorsports world. Superlap is part of that world as well with Tuesday and Thursday iRacing SIM leagues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Godola races his car all over Michigan at tracks like Waterford, Gingerman, and Grattan along with fellow Board member Del Torre who is a Waterford Hills instructor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe want to show people that they can get into racing affordably with a $20,000 race car,\u201d said Godola, \u201cand Waterford Hills is a great local place to start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">One of the banners on the Waterford Hills\/Superlap display shows off the SCCA Spec Racer Ford class. \u201cYou can get a second-generation Spec Race Ford for just $14,000,\u201d said Della Torre who organizes SRF events that will attract as many as 20 cars with drivers like Ford Performance Chief Mark Roshbrook and Hagerty editor Larry Webster. \u201cI\u2019ll invite people out to Waterford Hills and have them drive a Spec Race Ford around the paddock. They love it. Then I\u2019ll sign them up to do a test session n track. Then they are hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690041007-20250816-dgdreamcruise-0437.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Larry Santavicca the manager for the AAA office in Birmingham, gets into the spirit of the Woodward Dream Cruise, August 16, 2025.\" width=\"516\" height=\"345\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Larry Santavicca the manager for the AAA office in Birmingham, gets into the spirit of the Woodward Dream Cruise, August 16, 2025.\" data-c-credit=\"David Guralnick, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Larry Santavicca the manager for the AAA office in Birmingham, gets into the spirit of the Woodward Dream Cruise, August 16, 2025.David Guralnick, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Dodge Challenger Scat Pack a Cruise staple.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Ferndale &#8211;<\/em>\u00a0It\u2019s Halloween in August.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">One of the Captains of the Cruise is (still) the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack coupe with V-8 engine, 392 cubic inches, 485 horsepower, and wide body fenders. Discontinued in 2023 due to federal regulatory pressure, it is a Cruise staple. One of the best examples on the strip is Rodney Tillman\u2019s 2022 model painted in orange and black Halloween colors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691285007-dream-cruise-sat-2025-challengerhalloween.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Rodney Tillman, 2022 Dodge Challenger with Halloween theme.\" width=\"530\" height=\"299\" \/><\/em><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><em>F<\/em><em>erndale &#8211; Rodney Tillman, 2022 Dodge Challenger with Halloween theme. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Tillman comes by his Bengal colors naturally as a Cincinnati resident, but the car was painted in Kalamazoo. The paint treats include scary pumpkins decorating the engine bay and a giant bumblebee (the Scat Pack symbol) wrapping the rear fenders. \u201cTrick or Treat\u201d is stamped across the front bumper.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691289007-dream-cruise-sat-2025-challengerside.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ferndale - Rodney Tillman, 2022 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with Halloween theme and Bumblebee fenders.\" width=\"523\" height=\"295\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Ferndale - Rodney Tillman, 2022 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with Halloween theme and Bumblebee fenders.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Ferndale &#8211; Rodney Tillman, 2022 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with Halloween theme and Bumblebee fenders. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Tillman has no interest in the current, 6-cylinder replacement for the Challenger \u2013 the Charger coupe \u2013 and instead is hoping for the rumored, V-8-powered Dodge Cuda rumored for 2026 now that the feds are backing off.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">&#8216;The car in the movie&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Royal Oak<\/em>\u00a0<em>&#8211;<\/em>\u00a0Dan Fletcher, of Metamora Township, brought out an icon of both Detroit\u2019s automotive history and Hollywood\u2019s: a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">You know, the car that Burt Reynolds drove in \u201cSmokey and the Bandit.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85691082007-screenshot-20250816-131119.png?width=562&amp;height=521&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Dan Fletcher of Metamora Township with a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am that look like the one Burt Reynolds drove in \u201cSmokey and the Bandit\u201d at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" width=\"501\" height=\"464\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Dan Fletcher of Metamora Township with a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am that look like the one Burt Reynolds drove in \u201cSmokey and the Bandit\u201d at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.\" data-c-credit=\"Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Dan Fletcher of Metamora Township with a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am that look like the one Burt Reynolds drove in \u201cSmokey and the Bandit\u201d at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Owen McCarthy \/ The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It was the summer of that year, shortly before the blockbuster released when Fletcher\u2019s Dad \u2014 a General Motors employee \u2014 brought the black and gold beauty home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">One night, Fletcher had a date at the Beltline drive-in theater in Grand Rapids. His dad let him take the impressive new wheels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">At the theater, there were two screens. Fletcher and his companion opted for the one showing \u201cStar Wars: Episode 4 \u2013 A New Hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As they watched, Fletcher noticed his car attracting lots of attention. He knew it was a sweet ride, but this was a lot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWhy is there so much interest in the car?\u201d he recalls asking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As it turned out, Smokey and the Bandit was playing on the other screen at the theater.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI turn around and look, and there\u2019s the car in the movie!\u201d Fletcher said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He and his date kept their attention mostly focused on &#8220;Star Wars,&#8221; but Fletcher naturally went to see &#8220;Smokey and the Bandit&#8221; the next day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Today, it\u2019s among his favorite movies. Fletcher\u2019s wife chimed in that he \u201ccan recite every line\u201d in the film, adding that fellow Dream Cruisers will go back and forth with him exchanging quotes from it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">&#8216;Never missed a year&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Royal Oak &#8211;<\/em>\u00a0For 30 years, former Grosse Pointe North High School mates Rob Binge of Sterling Heights, Alan Srodawa of Grosse Pointe, and Bill Turgeon of Troy have been coming to the Cruise with a variety of cars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This year they brought, respectively, a 1987 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, and 2007 Ferrari 599. It\u2019s a microcosm of the eclectic mix of cars that now cruises Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe\u2019ve never missed a year,\u201d said Binge who has also brought a 1965 Pontiac GTO, 1966 Chevrolet Nova, and 1967 Nova to Woodward over the years. \u201cThe Cruise has really changed. In the beginning it was mostly older cars and Detroit muscle, but now you see newer cars and all kinds of variety. It\u2019s become much more of a show.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690149007-dream-cruise-sat-25-ferrariclassmates.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Royal Oak - Grosse Pointe High classmates Bill Turgeon (right) with his Ferrari 599 and Rob Binge with his 1987 Ford Mustang GT. The Pontiac Fiero GT (foreground) is ownd by Alan Srodawa (not pictured).\" width=\"538\" height=\"303\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Royal Oak - Grosse Pointe High classmates Bill Turgeon (right) with his Ferrari 599 and Rob Binge with his 1987 Ford Mustang GT. The Pontiac Fiero GT (foreground) is ownd by Alan Srodawa (not pictured).\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Royal Oak &#8211; Grosse Pointe High classmates Bill Turgeon (right) with his Ferrari 599 and Rob Binge with his 1987 Ford Mustang GT. The Pontiac Fiero GT (foreground) is ownd by Alan Srodawa (not pictured).. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Right on cue, a six-door DeLorean limousine \u2013 its six gull-wing doors high in the air \u2013 cruised by.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI saw a trailer pulling a truck on Woodward this year,\u201d smiled Turgeon who sometimes brings a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda to the Cruise. \u201cDriving like it was in reverse! Completely backward from what you\u2019re used to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Also strange is seeing a mid-engine Pontiac sitting next to a front-engine Ferrari. Usually it\u2019s the other way around. \u201cThey only built the Fiero from 1984 to 1988,\u201d said Srodawa. \u201cThe GT was the hot rod with a V-6 engine and special body kit.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/08\/16\/PDTN\/85690037007-20250816-dgdreamcruise-0141.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Car enthusiasts check out a row of classic vehicles parked on Old Woodward Avenue during the Woodward Dream Cruise, in Birmingham, August 16, 2025.\" width=\"536\" height=\"357\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Car enthusiasts check out a row of classic vehicles parked on Old Woodward Avenue during the Woodward Dream Cruise, in Birmingham, August 16, 2025.\" data-c-credit=\"David Guralnick, The Detroit News\">\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>Car enthusiasts check out a row of classic vehicles parked on Old Woodward Avenue during the Woodward Dream Cruise, in Birmingham, August 16, 2025.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>David Guralnick, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ferndale\u00a0\u2013 The sun rose with a roar on Saturday morning. The sounds of engines slowly filled the air at 6.30 a.m. as a cornucopia of Cruisers came onto Woodward at Eight Mile to begin the Woodward Dream Cruise. The rumble of push-rod Chevy V-8s, the menacing gurgle of Mustang V-8s, the high-pitched wail of Subaru [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34874"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34874"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34876,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34874\/revisions\/34876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}