Joe
Club Member
Drivers revved their hot rods and showed off vintage models as Jackson Road became a haven for the classiest and coolest in the automobile world on Saturday.
The inaugural Jackson Road Cruise turned the stretch of road in Scio Township into Ann Arbor's version of the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise.
Sizzling mustangs and nostalgic T-Bird convertibles tooled up and down the road. There were foreign and domestic cars, custom-built beauties and timeless classics - along with motorcycles, fire trucks and tractors.
Lon Horwedel | The Ann Arbor NewsThis street Indy car was just one of several classic cars at the cruise.
Eleven businesses along the strip served as hubs, where proud car owners from around the area showed off their shiny vehicles to hundreds of impressed onlookers. The crowd grew as morning rain gave way to sunny skies in the afternoon.
The event was a cooperation among businesses along the Jackson Road commercial strip stretching from Weber's Inn to just beyond Zeeb Road. Nine local charities benefited from raffles and other drawings staged at the cruise.
Bill Farley of Ann Arbor brought his 1966 T-Bird. Farley, a veteran of area car shows, said the cruise was an excellent idea that would benefit merchants and the city.
"I think Ann Arbor is a good car town," Farley said.
Ken Staples, an Ann Arbor builder, stood proudly beside his burgundy 1953 Chevy Suburban, parked in the lot at Weber's. He plans to drive the beautifully restored vehicle across the country this summer with his wife to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Lon Horwedel | The Ann Arbor NewsAn old Pontiac strikes a mean pose as Old Glory blows in the background in the Varsity Ford parking lot.
He called the cruise a good way to socialize and generate business. "Anything you do to give somebody a shot in the arm (in this economy)," Staples said.
Ann Arbor's Rick Wresche cruised up and down Jackson Avenue, greeting friends in his creamy white 1961 Chrysler DeSoto with push-button shifting and a powerful horn.
Down the road at Varsity Ford, classic 1950s tunes blared as hundreds of onlookers checked out several rows of hot rods and classic cars.
Jamison Brown, 6, of Ann Arbor, admired a bright red 1955 T-Bird convertible, deeming it "cool."
His father, Scott Brown, was just as excited. "I love looking at them and dreaming about which one I'd like to own - some day," he said.
Deejay Ronnie Oleksiak, who has worked at the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in Detroit, marveled at the turnout for the first-time event.
"We're packed," he said. "We needed a show like this on this side of (the Detroit area)."
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/05/inaugural_jackson_road_cruise.html
The inaugural Jackson Road Cruise turned the stretch of road in Scio Township into Ann Arbor's version of the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise.
Sizzling mustangs and nostalgic T-Bird convertibles tooled up and down the road. There were foreign and domestic cars, custom-built beauties and timeless classics - along with motorcycles, fire trucks and tractors.
Lon Horwedel | The Ann Arbor NewsThis street Indy car was just one of several classic cars at the cruise.
Eleven businesses along the strip served as hubs, where proud car owners from around the area showed off their shiny vehicles to hundreds of impressed onlookers. The crowd grew as morning rain gave way to sunny skies in the afternoon.
The event was a cooperation among businesses along the Jackson Road commercial strip stretching from Weber's Inn to just beyond Zeeb Road. Nine local charities benefited from raffles and other drawings staged at the cruise.
Bill Farley of Ann Arbor brought his 1966 T-Bird. Farley, a veteran of area car shows, said the cruise was an excellent idea that would benefit merchants and the city.
"I think Ann Arbor is a good car town," Farley said.
Ken Staples, an Ann Arbor builder, stood proudly beside his burgundy 1953 Chevy Suburban, parked in the lot at Weber's. He plans to drive the beautifully restored vehicle across the country this summer with his wife to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Lon Horwedel | The Ann Arbor NewsAn old Pontiac strikes a mean pose as Old Glory blows in the background in the Varsity Ford parking lot.
He called the cruise a good way to socialize and generate business. "Anything you do to give somebody a shot in the arm (in this economy)," Staples said.
Ann Arbor's Rick Wresche cruised up and down Jackson Avenue, greeting friends in his creamy white 1961 Chrysler DeSoto with push-button shifting and a powerful horn.
Down the road at Varsity Ford, classic 1950s tunes blared as hundreds of onlookers checked out several rows of hot rods and classic cars.
Jamison Brown, 6, of Ann Arbor, admired a bright red 1955 T-Bird convertible, deeming it "cool."
His father, Scott Brown, was just as excited. "I love looking at them and dreaming about which one I'd like to own - some day," he said.
Deejay Ronnie Oleksiak, who has worked at the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in Detroit, marveled at the turnout for the first-time event.
"We're packed," he said. "We needed a show like this on this side of (the Detroit area)."
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/05/inaugural_jackson_road_cruise.html
