In the world of classic cars, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the cream of the crop. The event is held annually on the third Saturday of August and it takes place in the former home of mostly all American car production, Michigan. The drive starts on Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, through Ferndale in Oakland County, and goes all the way to the State Fair Grounds inside the Detroit city limits, just south of 8 Mile Road. It might not be a Los Angeles beach cruise, as it's Detroit, but for lovers of all the old days, it's as good as it gets.

The event isn't just big for the fans, it's big for the city of Detroit as well. It is now the largest single day classic car event in the world, and brings in over $56 million annually for the Metro Detroit economy. It is, without a doubt, the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing about 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year.

After the jump, we have assembled numerous photos of the events. If you have photos of your own, feel free to share them with us.

Old Time Cars

Some of our favorite cars are from the early days of motoring. We love the old style and the sound of those brilliant horns. There is just something about them that is captivating. There were plenty to choose from at the Woodward Dream Cruise, including an old school fire truck. Check out all the photos below.

Classic/Muscle Cars

As great as the old cars were, the real reason for the cruise is the muscle machines. Massive horsepower and the turning radius of a cruise ship. There is nothing like them. The sounds of the big V8 motors and the great deep rumble coming out of the exhaust pipes are brilliantly intoxicating. Dodge Challengers->ke249 and Chargers->ke218, Ford Mustangs->ke428, GM products, and so on graced the streets of Detroit.

Classic Cars

They might not have had the massive horsepower as the muscle cars did, but these boats graced our roads for years and years. They were huge, chrome covered machines, sort of like today's GM products. The back seats were massive, the trunks were the size of cargo trains, and we love them.

Crazy Cars

Where as most of these cars were actually seen on the roads in the old days, these machines are just fantasy. From the Charger's ungraceful appearance in the Dukes of Hazzard or the Ghost Busters wagon, these cars are pure imagination. Here are just a few examples of what we saw cruising the streets.