One Third Fewer Attendees Lined the Famed 16-Mile Detroit Roadway

After facing the worst power loss in U.S. and Canadian history, that caused a gasoline and water shortage as well as a drenching downpour midday Saturday Aug. 16, it would be fair to expect the ninth annual Woodward Dream Cruise to turn into the nightmare crawl.

This stretch of Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, Mich., drew crowds of people to see the General Motors racing displays and the classic (and not so classic) cars during the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug. 16. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

Not so, but the blackout did force the cancellation of several pre-Cruise festivities, including the Revvin' with Ford Charity Preview and a noticeable decrease in the number of participants and spectators.

The Woodward Dream Cruise, sponsored this year by Eaton Automotive, is one of the biggest annual automotive events in the United States, usually drawing an estimated 1.5 million to 1.7 million spectators to see the some 30,000 vintage cars, muscle cars and hot rods that takeover Detroit's major north-south thoroughfare.

Ford Special Vehicle Team Owners Association Marketing Manager Jim Owens, standing next to an SVT Mustang and SVT Lightning, was happy to be out at the Mustang Drive In along the Woodward Dream Cruise route on Aug. 15. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

It was originally started as a grassroots event by car enthusiasts to recapture the crusin' days of the 1950s and 1960s and grew into a mega cultural event in the Motor City as not only the "Big Three" car manufacturers became involved -- DaimlerChrysler rolled out its Chrysler PT Cruiser Dream Cruiser Series 3 and Ford sponsored music concerts at the "Mustang Drive In" -- but also Hyundai and auto supplier companies try to capture a portion of the spotlight.

Hyundai had 25 of its 2003 Tiburons in various levels of customization on a lot just south of Eleven Mile Road. The display was co-sponsored by Hyundai and Speed, Style & Sound magazine. No doubt it is a sure sign that the Dream Cruise is extending far beyond its original Grease-like roots.

Organizers were expecting an additional 500,000 people to line Woodward for the Cruise, which ran 16 miles through nine cities, anchored by the city of Pontiac to the north and to the south at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit at the Eight Mile intersection. Cars on the road ranged from 1930s Ford V8s to such "classics" as 1980s Chevy Astro Vans, 1990s Mustang GTs and even newer Chrysler PT Cruisers. However, early estimates from officials say that the turn out was a third lower than last year.

Just two blocks off of Woodward Avenue, Ford usually holds its Revvin' with Ford Charity Preview Party on the Friday night before the Dream Cruise and thousands of people would be congregating around. However, the worst power outage to hit the U.S. since the 1960s put a damper on all pre-Cruise festivities, including a cancellation of Ford's party. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

The power black out on August 14 that affected 50 million people in the northeastern United States, including southeastern Michigan, and impacted large parts of Ontario and Quebec, Canada, had Detroiters scrambling to find ice for their refrigerators, bottled water and gasoline. Power to Detroit's water pumps had been cutoff for several hours, and when it came back on, residents were ordered to boil their tap water due to fears that contaminants may have worked their way into the drinking supply while water pressure was low. The boiled water order was finally lifted late Monday afternoon.

This big red Cadillac convertible was one of the few vehicles gassed up and ready to take to the street on the Friday before the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit. Motorists who didn't have a full tank of gas were urged not to come to Woodward that day because the power blackout had closed many gas stations.(Photo: Ford Motor Company)

And, without power, many gasoline stations were temporarily out of business. All motorists, not just Dream Cruisers, went out in search of gasoline stations that still had power, thanks to emergency generators, or drove more than 30 miles to the exurbs, such as Brighton, halfway between Detroit and Michigan's capital, Lansing, which had been unaffected by the blackout. Lines formed at open gas stations throughout Thursday evening even until Sunday, resembling the gas lines of the OPEC oil embargos of the 1970s.

As a smattering of cars with empty gas tanks lined the sides of roads and highways, Dream Cruise organizers warned on the radio that would-be spectators and cruisers should not venture to Woodward unless they had a full tank of gas.

Among the impact events on Friday were:

It was unusually subdued Friday, Aug. 15, in Birmingham, Mich., on the evening before the Woodward Dream Cruise. Normally, the area would have throngs of people and entertainment, but due to the power blackout that struck Michigan, much of the Northeastern United States and parts of Ontario and Quebec, the only visible street entertainment came from Paul Miles who was singing the blues to cheer people up. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

• Berkley's Cruisefest, the official kickoff classic car parade, was cancelled.
• The annual Revvin' with Ford Charity Preview in Royal Oak, Mich., was expected to draw 3,000 partygoers and raise about $500,000 for the Children's Charities Coalition. However, with the power still out by early Friday afternoon, Ford cancelled the event, though it still plans to collect the total amount of money it pledged for the charities. The only entertainment around the Ford venue that evening (which in previous years would be booming with the sounds of the crowds and bands) was a street player, Paul Miles of Southfield, Mich., playing his guitar. "I'm the unofficial ambassador of the blues to Birmingham," Miles said. "I thought that I'd bring some good vibrations to counteract so much negative things. And I get a chance to see the cars. I like old cars and my dad used to work for General Motors for 30 years. Here I'm able to look back at the cars I used to ride, but I can't afford them now. Whew!"

  Ford Motor Company's Mustang Drive In has been a staple along Woodward Avenue, just south of 13 Mile Road, for the past several Dream Cruises. This year, it was the site for members of the Special Vehicle Team Owners Association to congregate and enjoy the rock bands on stage, such as Mitch Ryder on Saturday, Aug. 16. During the power black out that plagued Michigan that week, festivities were a bit subdued even here. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

• At Ford's Mustang Drive In, a band stage set up near 13 Mile Road and Woodward that was built to resemble an old drive in movie theatre, only about a third of the members of the Ford Special Vehicle Team Owners Association (SVTOA) came out for Friday's festivities. And, on Saturday, Ford was unable to bring out one of its prototype GTs. Still, Ford SVTOA Marketing Manager Jim Owens said, "Despite the problems that we've had with the weather and the power (outage), we've had a pretty good turn out. Our SVT owners are pretty much hard core enthusiasts and like to come out and see the cars go by." The SVTOA has 26,000 members in North America, which represents a considerable number of owners who bought the some 120,000 SVT models produced since 1993.

• It's become a General Motors tradition for senior executives to drive Woodward the Friday night before cruise day. A soft news photo opportunity, because spectators at Woodward are more interested in old cars and customized vehicles, said GM spokesman Kevin Rose. However, the executive drive was moved to early Saturday morning instead. Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner drove in his 50th birthday present from his family -- a new, purple Chevrolet SSR. The special thing about Wagoner's car was the color -- although purple was the paint scheme used SSR concept vehicles; it is only one of 25 produced as the "Signature Series," with a nonstandard production color. And Gary Cowger, president, GM North America cruised in a new Pontiac GTO and a supped up Saturn Ion.

  General Motors has been offering public showings of its concept Chevrolet SSR for the past two years during the Woodward Dream Cruise. This appears to be one of the production models coming out in 2004. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

• The 155th annual Michigan State Fair was scheduled to open Friday, Aug. 15, three days earlier than normal, to coincide with the pre-Cruise festivities, but the gates remained closed until Saturday. At that point, the fairgrounds had portable power generators on hand and bottled water for visitors and did open to allow Cruisers to participate in "burnout contests" where muscle car owners could squeal their wheels off the street.

  The PT Dream Cruiser III is fully equipped with all the luxury features expected in more expensive premium cars. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

• With power out, there was an 8 p.m. curfew imposed on spectators and cruisers on Friday, except in the city of Ferndale, where power came back on for its carnival rides on east Nine Mile Road, and the mayor kept events open until midnight. For Saturday, Cruise day, the 8 p.m. curfew was extended until 9 p.m. as more communities had power.
• With less traffic, motorists were able to "make the circuit" from Detroit to Pontiac much faster, with less stop-and-go backups. But, the stretch of Woodward between Birmingham and Pontiac was lacking spectators and cruisers when compared to the southern half of route.

Despite the set backs, there were some fun events, such as the unveiling of the True Blue 2004 Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 3, on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

This exterior shot shows the 2004 Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 3 soon after its unveiling at Duggan's Irish Pub in Royal Oak, Mich., four days before the start of Detroit's Woodward Dream Cruise. That's a PT Dream Cruiser Series II in the background. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

As the name suggests, the '04 PT Dream Cruiser Series 3 is the third time that Chrysler has offered a limited edition "Dream Cruiser" version of its retro looking vehicle. It's a car that is built for riding with the windows down, arm out the window, and music booming from the Infinity sound system while checking out other hot cars.

Equipped with a standard 2.4-liter 220-horsepower High Output turbo engine, the Series 3 Dream Machine should be a blast to drive. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

The PT Dream Cruiser Series three will come equipped with a standard 2.4-liter 220-horsepower High Output turbo engine, and a two-tone paint scheme with Midnight Blue and Bright Silver (in some ways reminiscent of the multi-tone paint schemes of the 1950s), plus special blue-tinted glass. Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for all of the Series 3 vehicles will be reserved in a continuous sequenced block to enhance their collectibility.

On the exterior, there are chrome accents on the bodyside moldings and the front grille. "Dream Cruiser Series 3" badging appears on the lower left side of the liftgate, and a "2.4L Turbo/High Output" badge is on the lower right side. The car will include 17-inch chrome-plated Empire cast aluminum wheels, with special Midnight Blue center caps with a bright "PT Cruiser" logo, as standard equipment.

The interior continues the two-tone color scheme with heated front seats covered in Dark Slate leather with Light Slate accents, and the winged Chrysler badge embossed onto the head restraints. The door trim panels continue the color scheme, as do the floor mats, and instrument panel with its Midnight Blue cluster bezels.

The interior of the PT Dream Cruiser Series 3 continues its two-tone color scheme inside. The car features two-tone seats (not shown), but note that the instrument panel is accented with Midnight Blue cluster bezels that match the vehicle's exterior, while the leather wrapped steering wheel features Satin Silver spokes, plus there are chrome accents on the shifter bezel. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

The Dream Cruiser Series 3 went on sale in North America in August with a manufacturers suggested retail price of USD$28,810 (excluding the $590 destination charge) or CAD$35,340 while the factory powertrain warranty is seven-years/70,000 miles (115,000 kilometre). Canadian customers also receive roadside assistance.

With the success experienced by Chrysler, cars like the Toyota Matrix seem aimed at the market segment that the Cruiser has carved out for itself. (Photo: Toyota)

"The PT Cruiser is extremely important to us," said Larry Lyons, DCX vice president, Small Vehicle Product Team, one of the four "platform heads" of the Chrysler Group. "It is a high volume product. Since we've introduced this package, there's been a lot of people chasing it, but I don't think anyone can match the styling."

Since the PT Cruiser came out in 1999, Toyota and General Motors brought out the Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, respectively, while Honda launched the Element and BMW has had great success with its MINI Cooper brand in the U.S. and Canada. These are vehicles that seem aimed at the market segment that the Cruiser has carved out for itself. Meanwhile, the number of entries in the small vehicle market is growing and fragmenting as more manufacturers participate in the segment, Lyons said.

"There's no one or two models that the PT Cruiser goes up against, because it really doesn't," noted Vice President Chrysler Brand Marketing Tom Marinelli. "People who buy it -- first of all, it's got the highest rate of people who don't consider anything else that we've ever seen (50-60 percent). In other words, when they come to market, they want a PT Cruiser and they literally don't have a shopping list of other models."

Chrysler Group's Larry Lyons, left, Tom Marinelli, and Lance Wagner stand with the Chrysler Dream Cruiser Series 3 during its unveiling prior to the ninth annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Metro Detroit. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

While the PT Cruiser is facing growing competition and a dip in sales since it was introduced, Chrysler is encouraged by owner loyalty to the car, Marinelli said. Previous owners are repurchasing it at about a 40 percent rate.

"In past years we've had high output 220 hp available but only as the GT package...in '04 the mainstream line will be able to get the turbo engine option." (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

"The big news for '04 (Cruiser) is the turbo engine," Marinelli said. "It delivers 180 horsepower on the touring and the limited model. And in past years we've had high output 220 hp available but only as the GT package, on the top of the line vehicles. So, in '04 the mainstream line will be able to get the turbo engine option.

"It's about a $1,200 option. So, at a much more affordable price, you can get 30 more horsepower."

Meanwhile, in 2004, the PT Cruiser convertible is scheduled to come out, but DaimlerChrysler will announce more about that at a later time, he said.

The PT Dream Cruiser will be available in Canada, which has a larger small car market than the United States, noted Paul Fleet, DCX Canada, manager, product public relations.

"The PT Cruiser is very popular in Canada too," Fleet said. For example, Canadian Cruiser owners started the "Cruise the Falls" meet in Niagara. The recent third annual event drew 615 vehicles, including owners from as far away as California.

The recent third annual "Cruise the Falls" event drew 615 PT Cruisers to Niagara, Canada. (Photo: cruisethefalls.com)

"Cruise the Falls started with a handful of guys with PT Cruisers who got together and thought of where they could meet and they decided to do it in Niagara Falls," Fleet said. "And it just snowballed from a couple hundred PT Cruisers up to where it is today."

The beauty of the PT Cruiser is more than just its looks, Fleet said. Its retro styling is cool, but it comes with a high degree of utility that is cherished in the Canadian market. And, it's an alternative to the short wheel base minivan."