GM Century Cruise - 1968 Chevrolet El Camino
Submitted by Bill Bowman
All the participants in the GM Century Cruise were invited to the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Friday evening, the night before the Woodward Dream Cruise, for our cruise instructions and the opportunity to view the approximately 200 cars and memorabilia on display. The GM Heritage Center is the showplace for the GM Heritage Collection and the GM Media Archive. Many of the Century Cruise participants drove their specialty cars to the center so we were able to view cars inside and outside the building. After a brief meeting we were able to enjoy the refreshments and spend the rest of the evening enjoying the facility.
Saturday morning when my wife and I pulled into the GM Renaissance Center parking lot in downtown Detroit, at 6:30am, in our 1968 Chevrolet El Camino, most of the 106 participants were already there and we were directed to our #59 parade position. We were informed that the parade was going to leave at 7:30am so we had approximately one hour to get a coffee and donut, look over the participant’s vehicles and watch the sunrise over the Detroit River.
At 7:30am, GM CEO Rick Wagoner pulled the E85 Ethanol powered Z06 Corvette out of the parking lot, followed by the 106 cars and trucks from every era of GM’s history, thru the downtown streets of Detroit to Woodward Avenue escorted by 30-40 police cars and police motorcycles.
As we headed north on Woodward we passed Campus Martius Park and Grand Circus Park, then Comerica Park, Ford Field and the Fox Theatre. Next it was the Cultural Center area with the Detroit Institute of Arts on the right and the Detroit Publie Library on the left, followed by the original General Motors Building and the Fisher Building.
We passed thru the City of Highland Park back into Detroit passing Palmer Park and the Michigan State Fair Grounds before passing over 8-Mile Road into the City of Ferndale. I mentioned to my wife how much Woodward Avenue had improved since the last time we traveled it.
Watch 106 GM legendary cars on Woodward Avenue during the Woodward Dream Cruise
Video Courtesy of General Motors Corporation, 2008
As we passed thru Ferndale, it was 8:30am and traffic is starting to become an issue. The spectators along both sides of Woodward are now gathering and setting up their canopies. We now pass thru Huntington Woods, under the I-696 freeway and pass the Detroit Zoo on our left. Next is the City of Berkley at 12-Mile Road and then 13-Mile Road in Royal Oak, the epicenter
of the Woodward Dream Cruise. Here we have the Northwood Shopping Center, Eaton Park and Duggans, all popular stops. We also now have bumper-to-bumper traffic and the spectators shoulder to shoulder. Next we pass the Shell gas station on the corner of Hunter. Many say this is the spot were several automotive engineers and personnel hung out to discuss and demonstrate their latest equipment.
Finally we enter Birmingham, make a turn around and head south to the Chevrolet and South Triangle parking spaces on Old Woodward. A few of the cars continued to the Athens Coney Island parking lot in Royal Oak, where GM provided food during the day for all the participants.
The afternoon was spent talking to other participants and spectators, looking at their cars, walking up and down Woodward or just sitting in the lawn chair watching the cruise.
All the participants I talked to enjoyed themselves and were pleased to participate with their vehicles. My wife and myself had a great time and want to say “Thank You GM”.
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