This year’s Dream Cruise featured an eclectic mix of hot rods, muscle cars, classic cars and boulevard cruisers. But in addition to these categories, there were also some surprises cruising down Woodward.
Not your average cruise
The Woodward Avenue event has certainly come a long way in the past few years, both from an attendance as well as a participant standpoint. Vehicle classification, in particular, seems to almost defy description. Organizers attempt to classify “official” cruisers in no less than 10 categories. The categories and 2008 winners are as follows:
Ashley Webb (courtesy Dream Cruise)
American Performance from the Past (1916-1948)
Class #1: Hot Rod Racers/Outlaw Performance: Jon Hall—1932 Ford Arden Sedan
Class #2: Street Performance/Heritage Hot Rods: Mary Dudek—1940 Ford and Bill Couch—1934 3-window coupe (tie)
Class #3: Traditional Hot Rods (Rat Rods): Ashley Webb—Roadster (also “Best of Show”)
Jeff Hansen (courtesy Dream Cruise)
American Performance from the Present (1948-1990)
Class #4: Street Custom: Mike Bayer—1958 Ford Thunderbird
Class #5: Muscle Cars: Rich Cornell—1965 Oldsmobile 442
Class #6: Sports Cars: Jeff Hansen—1969 Chevrolet Camaro and George Huisman—1967 Ford Mustang (tie)
Class #7: Engine Swap Cars: Art & Jan Peterson—1969 GTO Judge
American Performance for the Future (1990-2008+)
Class #8: Factory Muscle Cars: Kelly Kovacs—2006 Mustang Roush
Class #9: Street Customs: Rick Peck—2001 Toyota Celica GTS
Class #10: Green Machines: Jack Beatty—1916 Detroit Electric
But wait, there’s more…
But even with all these classifications, there are still many “unofficial” vehicles that reside outside any normal classification. And so, for your entertainment and edification, I present 2 additional classes:
Classic German Microcar (1950’s era)
Class #Bravery in the face of overwhelming horsepower: BMW Isetta 300
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BMW Isetta 300
Equipped with a 300cc engine that generated 13 hp at 5200 rpm, the Isetta was responsible for putting thousands of Germans on the road. Sliding side windows were standard, while the wicker picnic basket and rear luggage rack were options.
Classic Japanese Retro Car (1991)
Class #Rarely seen in the U.S.: 1991 Nissan Figaro
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1991 Nissan Figaro
The Figaro is part of the retro car movement in Japan and in 1991, Nissan produced 20,000 of these vehicles, intended only for the domestic market. The “Figgy” features a 1.0 liter turbocharged engine that develops 75 hp at 6000 rpm.
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