Woodward Dream Cruise 2009
It’s time to cruise Woodward Avenue – and show your support for Detroit and its hard-earned place in automotive history. To honor the American autoworker and celebrate the 15th annual Woodward Dream Cruise on Aug. 15, Hagerty has placed a billboard along the route with a simple message of encouragement: “Motor on, Detroit.” You can also support the hobby and give the Motor City some love by downloading a smaller version of the billboard, printing it out and placing it in the window of your classic car for all to see during the cruise.
Download and print the billboard [PDF] 
Never been to the Cruise? Hold onto to your fuzzy dice! With 1.5 million people and over 40,000 classic cars, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event. Here are some helpful tips to help make it everything you’re hoping for and more:
Make sure your tail lights and brake lights are working properly.
Under Michigan law, brake lights and tail lights are required to be working and fully functional when driving. However, if your vehicle is licensed as historic and was not originally manufactured with these lights it may be exempt from this law.
If your registration has expired and you’re stopped, it can put a damper on the rest of your cruise. It’s a little thing but one people often forget.
Under Michigan law, drivers with historic plates are allowed to drive to and from collector car-related activities and similar uses, including mechanical testing. Consider carrying a copy of the law in your vehicle as it may help prevent potential issues. You can find a copy of this law on our website at Hagerty.com/historicvehiclemi.
Pack a lunch.
Bring a lunch or try one of the many food vendors along the route. Also pack some sun block, plenty of water and lawn chairs if you decide to stop and watch the action.
Do not drag race or burnout.
With the large crowd and powerful automobiles, it may be tempting to show off the performance ability of your 
Make sure your cooling system is in optimum condition.
Overheating, especially with older classics, is common on a hot summer day, particularly in stop-and-go traffic. If there is steam coming from under the hood, don’t just assume it is smoke from the guy next to you doing a burnout. There’s a likelihood that your engine is overheating. At any rate, bring a fire extinguisher along just in case something does go awry.
Do not carry alcohol.
Michigan law prohibits open intoxicants in motor vehicles and violators can be subject to fine and possible imprisonment. Open, readily accessible containers of alcohol are not allowed inside the vehicle.
Thoroughly inspect your vehicle.
Out of the tens of thousands of cruisers, you may want your classic to be the one that stands out and stops traffic – but not by breaking down. Before heading out for the cruise, make sure you check your brakes, battery, tire pressure and belts. Also, it’s important to have jumper cables and, as simple as it may sound, a full tank of gas.
Share the experience.
Bring your child, friend or better yet, pack the whole family into your cruiser. Yes, the entire family fits into your ’73 Cadillac Eldorado convertible.
Show your car club’s colors.
This is a great opportunity to wear your car club gear to help recruit new members. After all, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the largest single-day collector car event in the world.
For additional information about the Cruise, log onto www.woodwarddreamcruise.com.
