Ford Backs The ’21 Dream Cruise, but Old Woodward Tour Was A Hit In ’20

DETROIT, Mich. – By now, the whole automotive world knows that Ford Motor Company has stepped up to sponsor Detroit’s annual Woodward Dream Cruise for 2021. You’ll recall that the big event -- and Ford’s famed “Mustang Alley” portion of it -- was canned last August due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, but even that that didn’t stop some automotive diehards from “unofficially” cruising up and down the Woodward Avenue route in relative desolation. You can read our Woodward coverage for the past few years in the Enthusiasts section of FordPerformance.com.

“Once again, Ford Motor Company is stepping up to lead Woodward Dream Cruise, and we look forward to returning and elevating our annual tradition that puts Metro Detroit’s automotive scene and culture in the international spotlight,” Tony Michaels, the executive director of Woodward Dream Cruise, said in a pre-event press release. “Ford has consistently helped to make the cruise stronger, more engaging, more culturally relevant and more valuable to the Detroit region, and we are incredibly grateful for that.”

So what’s this whole Woodward Avenue thing all about? As a born-and-raised Detroiter, the historical importance of Woodward Avenue in automotive history has long been a source of Motor City pride. In fact, Woodward Avenue is one of America’s most iconic roads. The avenue was named after Augustus B. Woodward, the first Chief Judge for the Michigan Territory. Woodward was credited with working to help rebuild Detroit after massive fire in 1805. The first mile of concrete highway in the world was built on Woodward – between 6 Mile and 7 Mile roads – back in 1909. And by 1916, the remaining 27 miles of Woodward was paved.

Another first came in 1920, when Woodward became the first place that a three-color traffic signal was installed – invented by a black Detroit Policeman named William L. Potts. Perhaps fittingly, Woodward also has the distinction of being the first public road on which a ticket was written for street racing. It happened on March 17, 1895, when two unidentified motorized vehicles were caught by police racing up Woodward just before dawn.

And of course, the American auto industry was born near Woodward, with Ford’s first Model T factory, the Piquette Avenue Plant, just a few hundred feet off Woodward, before the world’s first moving auto assembly line was implemented on Woodward at Ford Motor Company’s massive Highland Park Assembly facility. Henry Ford himself lived near Woodward, at 58 Bagley Avenue. A workshop behind his home is where he created his first gas-powered vehicle. Chrysler was also founded just blocks from Woodward Avenue, at a Highland Park property where the company headquarters stayed until 1992.

For me, Woodward Avenue is . . . well, personal. Woodward was the place where, in my youth, I had witnessed both the rise and demise of the Muscle Car Era. By the mid-1960’s, Woodward’s claim to fame was that the avenue crowded with young cruisers each night was being used by Big 3 engineers as an after-hours proving grounds of sorts for their latest and greatest muscle car advancements. But by the mid-1970’s, Woodward became a car-culture battleground where the policies of local law enforcement, insurance companies, the EPA and OPEC effectively drove street racing and performance cars from the public consciousness.

Yes, the Woodward Dream Cruise is much more than just a celebration of our automotive past. It’s a worldwide recognition of the Motor City’s manufacturing mastery. The place that put America – and the whole world – on wheels. The place that helped win World War II with The Arsenal of Democracy. The place that gave birth to the middle class with a living wage. And the place where the future of mobility will be designed.

While today’s talk of an electric car future seems to give a nod to Silicon Valley, it’s important to know that EV’s were also invented here -- a long time ago. Cars like the battery powered 1910 Detroit Electric traveled along Woodward Avenue back at the turn of the century! Yes, there’s much to celebrate during the 2021 Woodward Dream Cruise. For most, it’s seeing all the legendary Detroit Iron on the road; seeing the storied history of the Ford Mustang on display, and Ford Motor Company’s legacy of 118 years of innovation; plus seeing so much talent and passion in the car hobby. And for all of us, it’s the pride that comes from building amazing things with our own hands, and from sharing in the human accomplishment that is our rich automotive heritage.

That’s why it was so disappointing to have had the Woodward Dream Cruise cancelled last year. So many people had already made plans to come to Detroit – I even had several out-of-town club friends ask me, “What’s there to do and see with the Dream Cruise activities all shut down?” And that’s where I got the idea to put together a mini “insider’s tour” of old Woodward and Detroit – things that are not part of the Dream Cruise itself that is all held well north of Detroit proper.

So, on Woodward Dream Cruise day 2020, I came up with an itinerary for a Detroit driving route that offered a glimpse at places where the auto industry left indelible marks on the Detroit landscape. We’d got word that 10 friends came to Detroit for the now-cancelled Woodward Cruise but who instead wanted to join in on an “Old Woodward” daylong drive with us. So we drove off to Midtown Detroit, exiting I-94 at Woodward Avenue and turning north toward Piquette Street. On the way to our first stop for a tour of the Ford Piquette Plant, we paused for photos at some of the ruins in the area, including the old Fisher Body Plant 21 on Hastings Street (looking much like the old Cadillac Stamping plant on Connor Ave.), plus at what was a huge but crumbing envelope factory nearby.

Our hour-long-plus tour of the Ford Piquette Plant – the world’s oldest purpose-built car factory still open to the public -- was simply fascinating. We parked across the street, and were surprised to find a bit commercial activity still happening in the area, with a linen service company headquartered in the former EMF/Studebaker factory just next door to Piquette. You can read about Piquette on FordPerformance.com, so check out the Enthusiasts section for a full report and more photos. Suffice to say that coming here is so steeped in Ford history that it should be on every Blue Oval fan’s bucket list.