By DUANE M. ELLING
Under a robin's egg blue sky, a steady stream of passersby stopped to admire a classic 1955 Buick Century Riviera. Dripping with chrome, the red and white beauty was one of an estimated 25,000 vehicles showcased during the
2009 Back to the Bricks Cruise Weekend, held recently in the Mott Foundation’s hometown of Flint, Michigan.
The five-day event, which attracted an estimated 200,000 car enthusiasts and spectators, culminated with a dazzling display of automotive artistry, from vintage models built in the early 1900s to modern-day examples of high tech design.
Photo credit: Matt Bach |
Launched in 2005 as a one-day car show,
Back to the Bricks grew this year to five days and featured daily cruises along Saginaw Street -- downtown’s brick-paved “main drag” -- and a variety of food vendors and live music.
Visitors also enjoyed a free evening outdoor screening of the movie
American Graffiti on the nearby
Flint Cultural Center campus.
While
Back to the Bricks celebrates automotive sheet metal and horsepower, Jerry Preston, president of the
Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (FACVB), believes its success is also helping to spark a new future for the city.
He notes that several high-profile community events, along with a growing number of downtown restaurants, nightclubs and housing opportunities, including dormitories for local university students, are fueling the area’s revitalization.
“These assets bring thousands of people each year to our community, which in turn helps our local economy,” Preston said. “They also help put a positive face on Flint, the value of which can’t be measured by a dollar figure.”
Photo credit: Matt Bach |
That sentiment was echoed by Lola Brown, 65, a lifelong resident of Flint who joined her 11-year-old grandson, Montara Morris, for
Back to the Bricks. She noted that the community -- like others across the country -- has its economic and social challenges.
“But we also have any number of things that everyone can come together around,” said Brown as she and Montara watched the parade of automotive muscle drive slowly down the century-old bricks. “If we take those opportunities and get to know one another, we can make this community strong again.”
As for Montara, also a Flint resident, the sight of a meticulously restored 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air proved that love sometimes travels on four wheels.
“There are some cars out here that look good and some have really loud motors,” he said. “But the Bel Air is the one I want to drive someday.”
FACVB coordinates
Back to the Bricks, as well as
Bikes on the Bricks, a salute to motorcycles scheduled for September 25 and 26.
Mott has provided $32,000 in grants since 2008 in support of the two events.