Heading into Auto Show Weekend, the world has its eyes on the Motor City. For many, the event serves as a reminder of Detroit pride. For others, it’s an opportunity to catch a first glimpse of the next generation of SUVs, pickups, and Sports Cars.
But for Roger Posey, the most exciting cars of all aren’t the ones you’ll find downtown this weekend…
Posey – a founding member of the Woodward Tri Five Cruisers – has vintage taste. While the majority of Metro Detroit clamors over the reveal of new electric vehicles, Posey would rather discuss icons of the past – specifically, Chevys built in the brief, three-year glory age of the American automotive renaissance: 1955, 1956, and 1957.
And more specifically, his iconic past: a 1956 Chevrolet 4-door sedan. It’s a stunning piece of Detroit history – matador red and shining in the Michigan sun.
This car, and 68 others like it, make up an organization that, twenty years since its inception, has become synonymous with Detroit’s classic car culture. The Woodward Tri Five Cruisers are a club comprised of the Chevys that defined the mid-fifties and set the tone for a future of innovation.
“These days, everyone is just trying to get from point A to point B,” Posey explained. “But we love to cruise.”
And boy, do they cruise! This summer, the Tri Fives made their presence known at events like the Woodward Dream Cruise, Down on Main Street Car Show, Cruisin’ Hines Drive, and the Frankenmuth Auto Show, just to name a few.
As summer gives way to fall, the Cruisers set to work on upkeep and upgrades. After all, these collectibles are no longer destined to weather a Michigan winter. Instead, owners pour their hearts into the beautification and improved performance of the vehicles that, to them, symbolize much more than just a means of transportation.
In order to understand the present, you first need to understand the past. So before making your way to the big show this weekend, take a moment to appreciate the heritage – and the chrome – of Detroit’s classic Chevys.