Woodward Dream Cruise
Written by Keith Fudge

Talk about an awesome sight! It was even a bit overwhelming for the “Certified Car Nut!” On this episode of Hemming’s My Classic Car, Dennis and the crew traveled to the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan, for the Sixth Annual Woodward Dream Cruise. This is the largest one-day event of its kind, with almost every type of vehicle represented.

The cruise takes place on historic Woodward Avenue, the same street where car development engineers (including Henry Ford), hot rodders, and “car nuts” have all cruised, enjoying America’s love affair with the most famous local product: the American automobile. Jean Chamberlain, Board President for the Woodward Dream Cruise, joined Dennis Gage and told him that the cruise covered approximately sixteen miles! We later discovered that more than 1.5 million people were on hand and that there were more than 30,000 classic cars that were ready to do some heavy-duty cruisin’!

Also of special interest, Dennis spoke with Jim O’Connor, President of Ford Division. This year’s cruise was a special event for Ford for it was at this show that they debuted the 2002 Neiman Marcus Edition, Thunderbird! Jim is truly a T-Bird fan and had his own vintage ’57 T-Bird on display! While we were there we also had a chance to experience some of the fine hospitality offered by Eaton Industries who were marking their second year as presenting sponsor. Dennis spoke with Eaton Senior Vice-President, Bruce Taylor, who noted that Eaton Industries has been making parts for cars since 1911, and that Eaton’s hospitality and sponsorship here at the cruise was just one way that the company wanted to say “thank you” to the many people and customers involved.

For Dennis and the crew, this was the ultimate playground and when it came time for Dennis to find some folks to talk to about their classic rides, the only question was, “Where to start?” First, Dennis found James Sucoe and his incredible 1939 Chevy Deluxe. This beige beauty was truly a sight to behold. This car was as clean as any we have encountered, and as James took Dennis around the car we could hardly keep from staring. The custom work on this Chevy was fantastic! First of all Dennis noticed the absence of door handles, so James opened the suicide doors by remote control! The interior was covered in luxurious leather and the seats were converted to fit from an Audi. Finally, this cool car is powered by a 350 Chevy that was chromed from oil pan to air cleaner! James drives the car to several shows each year and takes it out whenever he has an opportunity. In fact, as we left, James was about to hit Woodward Avenue in this awesome ’39! Thanks James and keep on cruisin’!

Next, Dennis found Diran Yazejian and his immaculate 1934 Dodge. Diran has attended Dream Cruise every year since it began, and when looking at his vintage Mopar, it was just like stepping back into the past. From the rumble seat to the fender-mounted spare, Diran’s classic car was truly a breathtaking example of automobile history. Original in every detail except for the color (and the Teal exterior is absolutely stunning), the Dodge is powered by a 218 c.i. six cylinder engine. Without a doubt, Diran’s 1934 Dodge is a pristine example of an early era roadster.

Finally, Dennis found Julie Kumelsha her ultra-rare 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Julie is the third owner of this Charger, and as she mentioned to Dennis, since this Charger was one of only 503 produced, she indeed knows that she has one rare Mopar; however, that doesn’t keep her from occasionally taking it to the streets! Powered by a 440/4bbl, this bad Charger has surely snapped a few heads in its day, whether it was someone turning to offer an admiring look, or if it were someone in the passenger seat who had just felt the power of hitting passing gear, you can bet that the feeling was all that! So, if you see Julie and her friends cruisin’, give her a “thumbs up” for keeping this Mega Mopar right where it belongs: on the streets! Thanks Julie!

As Dennis mentioned in this segment, this place is truly incredible. In fact, he says that this is the “Woodstock of car events.” With that said, we couldn’t agree more. Just to give you an idea of what we mean, our crew filmed for almost an entire day, and we still only covered four miles of the sixteen-mile cruise! Now that’s some kind of show!

Next year’s Dream Cruise is scheduled for Saturday, August 18, 2001, and it promises to be even better than this year’s celebration (if that’s possible). For more information you can give them a call at 1-888-4WDC-1963, or you can find them on the web at www.dreamcruise.org. As always, and until our next road trip, “Remember the timeless classics. Happy Motoring!”