Gallery: The 6 Cliques of the Woodward Dream Cruise
“You see us as you want to see us…in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athelete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal.”—Brian “The Brain” Johnson
If there was one car event on the calendar most like John Hughes’ coming-of-age classic The Breakfast Club, it would have to be the Woodward Dream Cruise. Since 1995, the event has been attracting tens of thousands of cool cars and even more spectators to America’s first paved road for a day of cruising. Almost every make and automotive subculture are represented. Naturally, owners of similar cars found each other and cliques formed last Saturday. Here’s a look at those different types of people on Woodward through a Hughesian lens.
The Vice Principals
While not necessarily a Breakfast Club clique, Vice Principal Vernon was a main antagonistic force. Similarly, the police at the Dream Cruise were there to make sure the kids stayed in line, much to the chagrin of spectators holding burnout signs. Presence was heavy and well equipped. I spotted bike, cruiser, motorcycle, and SWAT units, and regardless of the mode of transportation, the cops were not fans of excessive shenanigans. For example, an impromptu burnout pit in a Panera parking lot was spotted by a police helicopter and shut down pretty quickly by a gaggle of motorcycle cops.
The Brains
In the movie, Brian Johnson was a model student that was not respected by his peers. What could be more emblematic of a high-achieving but not respected group of cars than those from Japan? During the import drag racing boom of the 1990s, Japanese cars had to rely on more modern technology like all-wheel-drive, turbochargers, and variable valve timing to chase the American cars. Still, the “no replacement for displacement” crowd was dismissive of the imports even as the speed differential closed. Also, what’s more nerdy than having to type out a paragraph to describe your ride. Oh, so you have a Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R V-spec II Type Nür with the RB26DETT and ATTESA ETS? I got a Chevy Nova with a 350.
The Athletes
Good looking, popular, and the natural predator of the Brains. This could describe jock Andrew Clark or the classic muscle cars and hot rods. This catch-all category is still the bread and butter of the Dream Cruise. The whole spectrum was represented: Survivors, restomods, 100-point restorations, high boys, low boys, rat rods, etc. For the pony car lovers, Ford shut down most of 9 Mile (a state trunkline highway that runs perpendicular to Woodward) for a Mustang-only cruise-in.
The Basket Cases
My favorite part of Dream Cruise is the weirdos, like Allison Reynolds, played by Ally Sheedy. The odd or neglected car subcultures never fail to come out of the woodwork. Custom vans, a hold-over from the tuner craze of the early 2000s, and a Hello Kitty-themed Mini were highlights.
The Princesses
Claire Standish, Molly Ringwald’s character, was the wealthy and popular queen bee. If that doesn’t describe the supercar owners, I don’t know what does. The Skittle-colored wedges craved eyeballs, and the younger spectators were happy to provide them. Interesting to note: Lamborghinis and McLarens were everywhere, but Ferraris were scant. Perhaps all of the prancing horses were at Monterey for Pebble Beach.
The Criminals
Judd Nelson’s character was a bad-boy who didn’t play by the rules. On Woodward, this archetype mostly consisted of late model muscle cars, but no one was immune from the temptations to break the law. What SWAT van in the median? The spectators demand burnouts.
Did the different cliques of the Dream Cruise learn about each other, and by extension about themselves? Probably not. But seeing the diverse groups of car people intermingle and enjoy Woodward together is a treat.
Awesome observation and connection to a great movie!
I’m going to nitpick here. Woodward was not the first paved road in the country; it was the first concrete paved road. Granite pavers and bricks were around earlier.
Interesting. Pretty sure that the first was Thomas Edison’s concrete mile, which still exists as part of NJ Rt 57 in Stewartsville NJ.
Went every year for decades with Dad and Brother. Took my Uncle’s 60,61,67 Corvettes to cruise. Last one was in the Big Blackout. Brother couldn’t get there, two of the cars couldn’t get serviced so Dad and I took the 61. My birth year car. A great time despite no power. No crime. Easy cruise. But the Old Girl sure didn’t like cruising slow all day. Dad died a few months later. Will never forget it. Still have the key fob on my Garage Princess Corvette to remind me….. I had literally landed minutes before the blackout hit. Dad was waiting and we did our usual visit.. just no power and slow cruising and amazing nights with Dad by a fire in the pit. Sigh…..
Dream Cruise is getting worse every year, saw Bros on reverse trikes with open carry of guns.
Sadly Saturdays showing was a Bust . Mostly due to rain . But Saturdays of the past 5 years have been dismal
as the Jeeps , Trucks & New vehicles have taken to driving & the Vehicles & hot rods of the past sat in the Parks for display , although not that many as the rain washed that out . Pontiac wasn’t shown & what happened to the Quarter mile Drag racing event _ rain appears to have knocked that out also. At least Channel Seven broadcasting got rid of the repeated video footage of the past five years , However the street ride along of Dave Rexroth was lame as usual _ again due to the cruisers not wanting to participate on Saturday on Woodward .
I stayed home & maybe next year come with my ZZ top replica which is featured in Cruzi’n Magizens July/August Issue . Enjoy the feature .
A pretty good year for my son, grandson and me, especially on Thursday and Friday. We fly up from Texas every year: Wednesday through Sunday; a tradition. It’s a great show because a la the above article there’s something for everyone. My favorite for the last ten years was a very, patinated silver ’61 Plymouth wagon from Arizona. We’ll be looking for ZZ top’s Ford and the Blues Bros Dodge again next year.
Made a similar comments Joe…..bumper to bumper surrounded by stock vehicles in my custom van. Dozens of helmet-less idiot adults and teenagers “lane-splitting” between the cars on TSC mini-bikes. NOT COOL.
A good variety of cars. Personally the ones trying to create trouble, burnouts whatever are the types I don’t care for.
You can’t go home again.
Great photos. I always love seeing a Studebaker Avanti on Hagerty!
Public Service Announcement, that will certainly fall on deaf ears. The Dream Cruise is dying, because people in normal, boring cars….Kia base models, Chevy Equinox’s, hundreds of stock 1-10 year old Bronco’s or Jeep’s with their doors off or the top down are cramming every lane of Woodward. Could we have a 2 mile stretch with a couple of dozen car guy jury sorting the cruise to just exoctic, cool, custom, classic (super broad on this, vehicles built before 1995?), rat rod vehicles, etc.. Saturday afternoon and evening was such a bummer, traffic was bumper to bumper….with dozens of “normal” cars on Woodward to every 1 “cool” car. I get it….”I have to get home” or “Get to work” that was not what it was. It was thousands of people driving on Woodward to look at cars in their bone stock, boring, still making payment on the lease….cars. Gonna take a few years off and try again, love cruising, but this was a unmitated mess, not fun.