Chevrolet Centennial celebration coming to 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise

As car enthusiasts from around the world gather to celebrate the time when tail fins symbolized American success, and the rumble of a V-8 engine was the soundtrack for summer romance, the Woodward Dream Cruise will also be part of Chevrolet’s Centennial celebration, with events and activities for the press and public over a four-day period.

Each August, auto enthusiasts celebrate the automobile in three major cruises on three major avenues in metro-Detroi:, Gratiot, Woodward and Harper. However, the Woodward Dream Cruise is by far the largest, with more than a million car fans flocking to Detroit’s legendary Woodward Avenue for the motorized equivalent of Woodstock.

According the Chevrolet news release (photo courtesy of media.gm.com), the following highlights of Chevy-related events and its centennial celebrations will be at this year’s Dream Cruise.

Wednesday, August 17

GM Design Car Show: The GM Design team will host a car show on Wednesday from 1 to 9 p.m. at the Northwood Plaza on the SW corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road. The show will feature personal vehicles owned by members of the Design team, along with live musical performances.

Thursday, August 18

Chevrolet Centennial Woodward Parade: Chevrolet will kick off the Dream Cruise with a parade on Woodward Avenue starting at 2 p.m. on Thursday. The parade will feature 50 Chevrolet Volts and their owners in town for Volt’s first Cruise, 20 employee-owned Chevrolet heritage vehicles, the new Camaro ZL1 and Chevrolet Sonic, and vehicles from the GM Heritage Collection. The parade will start on Woodward Avenue at Long Lake Road, travels south to I-696, and returns.

Performance Division and Performance Parts at Memorial Park: The Performance Division and Performance Parts display will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Memorial Park on the NE corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road. The display will include a collection of classic engines and modern crate engines. Attendees will be able to watch professional engine builders from the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich., disassemble and reassemble a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 engine, and see how the masters do it. The E-ROD emission-compliant 1955 Chevy Bel Air hot rod will be featured, along with other concept, classic, and current hot rods. Technical experts will be on site to answer Cruisers’ questions.

Friday August 19

WWJ Newsradio 950 Motown Muscle Breakfast: Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser will participate in the Motown Muscle breakfast and panel discussion from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. at Duggan’s Irish Pub in Royal Oak. The new Camaro ZL1 will be on display. Jeff Gilbert and John McElroy will host the panel, which will also include representatives from Ford and Chrysler. The public can register online.

Performance Division and Performance Parts at Memorial Park: The Performance Division and Performance Parts display will be open again on Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Memorial Park on the NE corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road.

Saturday, August 20

Chevrolet Activities, Birmingham Triangle: Chevrolet displays and activities start at 8 a.m. Saturday and run through the conclusion of the Cruise at 9 p.m. Some 60 cars will be on display, ranging from heritage vehicles to the new Volt, Sonic, Cruze Eco, and Camaro ZL1. Also on display will be vehicles from the “Transformers” movies, and a selection of Indy 500 pace vehicles. Visitors will be able to capture themselves with a Time Splice 3D camera. Guy Fieri, host of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is bringing two of his personal Camaros, and will be signing posters from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chevrolet Dealer Parade: Detroit-area Chevrolet Dealers will parade from 8 Mile Road to Pontiac, then back to 16 Mile Road, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Chevrolet Pit Stops: Chevrolet is setting up pit stops in three locations on Woodward Avenue where cruisers can stop in an air conditioned area and have their classic cars photographed in front of murals depicting three historic diners. They can also enter a contest with WOMC radio to win prizes for the best classic Chevy photos and best overall car photos. Locations are:
- Art Van, 32310 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak (south of 14 Mile Road) – Ted’s Drive In
- CVS, 30900 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak (at 13 Mile Road) – The Susie Q
- Jax Kar Wash, 27054 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak (at 11 Mile Road) – Totem Pole
Hours of the Pits Stops are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Performance Division and Performance Parts at Memorial Park: The Performance Division display will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Memorial Park on the NE corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road.

For the record, this TN reporter will be there to cover the events.

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About the Reporter: After 39 years in the auto industry as a design engineer, Frank Sherosky now trades stocks, futures and writes articles, books and ebooks like, "Perfecting Corporate Character," "Awaken Your Speculator Mind", and "Millennial World Order" via authorfrank.com. He may be contacted here by email: FrankS@TorqueNews.com

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