The Woodward Dream Cruise is rolling into the Motor City next month, on Aug. 17, and car aficionados throughout the region and beyond are readying to gather and share their enthusiasm. (Find the entire route and day’s festivities at woodwarddreamcruise.com.) The Dream Cruise has been a Michigan tradition since 1995, when enthusiasts wanted to relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the 1950s and ’60s along Woodward — America’s first highway. Today’s Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing more than one million people and 40,000 classic cars from around the world, often caravaning from all across North America.
While vintage cars may be the focus, car-lovers will have the opportunity to experience the other end of the spectrum with local luxury car dealers who will be on hand to display the latest offerings of 21st-century vehicles. Here, two to look out for.
POLESTAR DETROIT
Royal Oak’s Polestar Detroit, part of the family-owned LaFontaine Auto Group, rooted in the Metro Detroit community for four decades, is looking forward to showing off the brand’s latest model of its luxury enhanced-performance electric vehicles. The dealership — the only one in the state and larger region — will have models of the Polestar 2, 3 and 4 (just revealed in June) available for viewing and testing, as well as a hospitality experience for visitors.
Polestar is a relatively new brand, introduced in 2017 under Volvo and Geely. The Polestar Detroit vehicles were originally sold under LaFontaine Volvo Farmington Hills in 2022 before moving into its own space in March 2023 on Woodward Ave., right along the Dream Cruise route.
Polestar Detroit Space Manager Greg Ostrowski says the Dream Cruise is an opportunity for visitors to check it out first-hand.
“It’s a great experience for us, too, because we get to talk to a bunch of people who either have been wanting to see us in person but haven’t had the opportunity, because they’re not from the area, or didn’t know we were here,” he says. “We also get to experience all the vehicles and people that are on Woodward on that day.”
Ostrowski says Polestars are more design- and performance-focused than competing electric vehicle brands, and are backed by nearly 100 years of manufacturing experience from Volvo.
Some of the brand’s capacities, he says, include going from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds, 400 horsepower and a 320-mile range, plus luxury features like Bridge of Weir leather, Bowers and Wilkins stereo systems, soft closed doors and adaptive air suspension systems, depending on the model.
Another differentiating feature of the brand is a nearly entirely digital shopping model, with transparent, fixed pricing and the ability to filter, personalize and select a car online without stepping into a dealership. However, Ostrowski says, online shopping doesn’t take away from the in-person customer experience, which is an important value of all the LaFontaine dealerships.
“The sole philosophy of having a space here is to be able to be accessible to our customers, to be able to experience the different vehicles, the different trim and materials and really just help them with the shopping experience,” he says. “It’s not to sell or push people into vehicles, it’s to be able to create that ultimate user experience and allow them to have any questions they have to be able to be answered and move that shopping experience forward.”
OSTROWSKI’S FAVE VINTAGE WHEELS
Ostrowski says his favorite vintage car is a 1960s Shelby Cobra, as well as the Fox Body Mustang, the Volvo P1800, the Aston Martin DB5 and the DeLorean DMC-12.
“As an ’80s baby, I absolutely love Back to the Future,” he says.
LINCOLN OF TROY
Lincoln of Troy, located on W. Maple Road in Troy, will also be celebrating the Dream Cruise. The dealership will offer a Cars & Coffee event for visitors who want to stop by to show off their classic vehicles and the work done in restoring them.
The personal interaction with guests and customers is an important value of the dealership.
“We try to give every client a delivery that stands out above the rest so they leave our store feeling as if they just left a five-star resort and couldn’t be happier when taking delivery of their new vehicle,” says Lincoln of Troy General Manager Michael Sabatini.
The family-run business was launched by Bob Borst before ownership was passed to the North Brothers, eventually becoming Lincoln of Troy in 2014. The dealership celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its current location last November.
During the Cars & Coffee event, visitors can also learn about Lincoln’s new Nautilus SUV. The vehicle features an immersive panoramic display - the largest in its class — offering enhanced levels of customization and convenience while driving, including curated cabin fragrances, massaging seats, ambient lighting, air filtering and driver-assist technology.
Sabatini says the Nautilus is flying off the shelves.
“Lincoln really knocked it out of the park with this vehicle, putting us exactly where we need to be when it comes to design and technology,” he says. “This was a great introduction for our clients for what is to come with Lincoln vehicles, and we are all so excited to slowly see the new vehicles come into our showroom that showcases some of the best tech you can find in vehicles.”
SABATINI’S FAVE VINTAGE WHEELS
Sabatini says his favorite vintage cars include the 1988 Land Rover Defender 90, the 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello, the 1967 Porsche 911 and the 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400.
“A v12 engine producing close to 400 horsepower back in the ’70s for people to drive around in must have been an experience,” he says. “The technology was not like what we have today to keep the car stable and safe. It was all on the driver to keep control of the vehicle — and this vehicle really pushed Lamborghini into the next generation of automobiles.”
Sabatini’s all-time favorite, however, is the 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition.
“This car is hands-down a work of art, and I would take this Mustang over any other one that has been created to date — besides the new GTD,” he says.
CURT’S SERVICE
Before any vintage car can cruise down Woodward Ave., it must run smoothly, and that’s where Curt’s Service comes in. The auto-repair shop, located on W. Eleven Mile Road in Oak Park, has become a go-to for many vintage car-owners.
Owner Curt Massoll says the shop starts getting a steady stream of vintage cars about two months before the Dream Cruise every year, servicing up to 15 at once in the week leading up to it.
While some vintage cars need a full restoration — which requires rebuilding it from the frame up — Massoll says his shop focuses on repair.
“We fix the things that bother you and keep you from driving your car,” he says.
The family-run shop, founded in 1981, has grown into one of the community’s most trusted and advanced auto-service centers, offering repairs and enhancement services for a range of foreign and domestic vehicles, specializing in European, Asian, domestic and specialty vehicles.
Some of the vintage cars that Massoll has worked on include DeLoreans, Rolls Royces, Barracudas, Firebirds, Mustangs and Corvettes.
For all customers, Massoll says, the focus is on providing them an excellent experience that prioritizes safety and affordability. He says they work with customers to present what repairs are needed as a whole, before presenting cost-effective timelines and options.
He says his favorite car to work on is the one that makes his customer happy.
“My favorite,” he says, “is when we’re able to give their car back to them more valuable than before while saving them money, so they don’t have to go out and buy a brand-new car.”