In less than four short weeks, my hometown of Flint, Michigan will put its best face forward for the twelfth, annual Back To The Bricks car festival. Hundreds of thousands of people (you read that correctly) will pour into Genesee County for five days of automotive-themed events, including a Drive-In movie screening, a live music concert, swap meets, a city-wide rolling cruise, and the mother of all car shows on the brick streets of downtown’s main road, South Saginaw Street. It’s the smell of tire rubber, oil, coney dogs, and cotton candy – and the sounds of classic rock-n-roll, Motown, revving motors, car banter, and camaraderie. It’s almost like an official holiday here in Flint, and residents and expatriates who come back for this event can’t wait to polish our town as best we can and show it off for you. This year, it all happens between August 16th through the 20th.
Sadly, I’ll miss this year’s show, as I just don’t have all the time and money to do everything I want all the time. (Yes, I realize I just stated the most obvious fact of adulthood, ever.) All the same, and since I’ll be missing the 2016 show, I’d like to share some of my favorite pictures from years past, from between 2010 to 2015. I hope you enjoy this virtual tour of one of the absolute best car shows in the Midwest.
First up, we have this lovely 1970 Buick Electra 225 hardtop coupe. I apologize in advance if this collection is a little Buick-heavy. Flint did headquarter Buick from 1904 through 1998, after all. I’m glad to see that the red, white and blue colors have returned to Buick’s tri-shield of late.
Next, we have this 1956 Oldsmobile 88 Holiday hardtop coupe. I said, Smile for the camera, Baby! This is a customized cruiser done right. The beautiful, Art Deco building in the background on the left is the Mott Foundation Building – a beautiful piece of architecture.
How about a chopped and customized 1965 Buick Riviera? I called this one the “Landshark”. Its flawless condition was in direct contrast to that of the ’65 I wrote about recently. As I’ve stated before in other posts, I mostly like my classic cars in stock form, but I love the creativity, artistry and execution that goes into a showpiece like this Riv.
Flint may be a GM town, but all makes and models are represented at this show with no small number of classic Mopars, like this lushly triple-green 1974 Dodge Charger SE. The stand-up hood ornament, tri-slotted opera windows, and fancy two-tone paint seem in direct contrast to its muscular lines. It’s like seeing your favorite football player in a press conference wearing a Napoleon Dynamite suit. Still, I really like it – and this one was in pristine condition.
Staying in the Mopar camp, let’s give it up one time for one of my favorite sporty compact import hatchbacks of the 1970’s, the Plymouth Arrow (née Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste). This one was a GT from model year ’76, if I recall correctly. Never mind the goofy fog-lamp shaped turn-signals on its face – the full profile view shows just what an amazing job stylists did on this sporty hatchback, with some of my favorite features being its 2nd-generation Barracuda fastback-like rear quarter windows, Kamm-style tail, and overall proportions for such a little car.
Some of my favorite memories of this car festival have been off the main drag Saginaw Street during the big, Saturday show. Twenty-thirteen brought an opportunity, my first, to see the inside of the historic Capitol Theatre (also downtown), which is currently undergoing renovation. On the stage is that 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder about which I wrote a piece of fiction last year.
The rolling cruises are lots of fun. I love the idea of a family taking a cruise in this ’71 Olds 4-4-2.
It’s also a thrill just seeing cars out and around the city, like this mean-looking ’68 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. It sounded just a pretty as it looked.
In 2013, the Motortown All-Stars gave a Motown-themed performance that had everybody dancing in the streets! Young and old, black and white, residents and visitors – it was a spine-tingling moment for me and a reminder of some of the things that made growing up in this community in the 1980s so great.
Getting back to the cars, there were other hopped-up subcompacts, including this ’79 Olds Starfire GT – one of just over 20,000 total Starfires produced for the model year. I had always liked the sloping front end on the restyled ’79s… it always seemed to fit the character of the Olds H-Body better than the body-colored, “rubber-ducky” front of the 1976 – ’78 models.
My shot of this ’65 Chevrolet Impala SS features several things I absolutely love: the car itself, Vernor’s Ginger Ale (and this mural), and the flagship Halo Burger restaurant. Summer in Flint is the best time to experience what we call a “Boston Cooler” – a float made with Vernor’s and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You also haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a Halo Burger QP with green olives on it. (Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it…it’s addictive.)
There are second-generation F-bodies all over the place, like this ’76 Pontiac Firebird Formula, in motion in front of the old Salvation Army building.
This was a Chevrolet small-block V8-powered 1982 Ford Mustang notchback, which I dubbed the “Frankenstang”. (Note the front end nose-cap is from an ’83.)
There was even a little ’79 Ford Fiesta! My own grandparents’s ’79 Fiesta didn’t look like this one, but to this day, the sight of one reminds me of them and of watching my grandma row through the four-speed wearing her tam and matching driving gloves.
There was this nifty, orange ’77 AMC Gremlin – in condition so pristine, you can’t help but think the original buyer was completely smitten with its quirky charm and orange-and-black plaid seats that they just left it garaged for decades.
Also from ’77 was this gorgeous Pontiac LeMans Can Am. The vinyl interior was as beautiful and intoxicating to smell as the exterior was pretty to look at. This limited-production submodel made a cameo in a piece from our own William Stopford at the beginning of this year.
Going back to Flint’s ties with Buick, several cars were on loan from the Sloan Museum’s Buick Gallery, including this 1954 Wildcat II show car. Those fangs on the front bumper certainly make this ‘Cat look like it wants to tear into whatever is in front of it.
The first-generation Mercury Cougar is on my short-list of the most attractive American cars of the 1960’s. This one needed a little cosmetic work (and perhaps more), but not every car at this show is a trailer queen – and the festival is much better and more authentic for this reason.
It’s always bittersweet when this festival, the one car-themed event I look forward to all year, is over. It’s bitter because it will be another three-hundred fifty-nine days before I can be back in the Vehicle City for this homecoming celebration of the automobile and the industry that put us on the map. The sweetness comes from the immediate memories of another, successful celebration back home and from my face being tired from smiling so much. This 1970 Chevelle SS was the last car I photographed at 2011’s festival, and it was a fitting farewell, with many Chevrolets having rolled off assembly lines within city limits through the years. Make me proud next month, Vehicle City.
Downtown Flint, Michigan.
As always, great post. I will be in Flint with my dad next month during the festival in his 1935 Chevrolet (street rod). We did the Woodward cruise a few years ago and it was, by far, the largest car event I have ever seen. I am really looking forward to it and the road trip back to Florida afterward in the Chevy with dad. This is an arty pic of his car in Atlantic Beach, Florida (where I live).
That’s an awesome picture – beautiful car, and the picutre captures the Florida vibe so perfectly. I hope you enjoy the Flint show this year! I’ll bet you’ll just take I-75 south to get to Florida.
A nice, eclectic mix. I share your feelings about that Charger: On one hand, it’s trying much too hard to transform what had been a muscle car into a Monte Carlo rival. On the other hand, that’s a great color and it’s so clearly a Look that I can’t help but appreciate it.
Some nice stuff, Joe. I have not attended a good show for awhile.
I have to agree with you on the Cougar. There is not a line on the car that should have been changed.
Simply terrific all the way through. You now have me wanting to visit this show in Flint at some point in time.
Thanks, Jason. Perhaps there could be a CC “Midwest Chapter” meetup at Bricks one of these years. We’ll find Paul a flight on a budget airline.
I head down for the rolling cruise on Wednesday, but I avoid the main show Saturday like my life depended on it; your lead picture is why. Good for Flint, but man that’s a lot of people. And just think: one hour south the same day is the Woodward Dream Cruise, perhaps the biggest car show in the world. It gives you some idea of why Michigan is a great place to be if you like cars.
I’m digging the ’79 Starfire here; that has to be some kind of a unicorn. 🙂
I’ve never been to the Woodward Cruise, believe it or not! My aunt lives not far from there and I’ve always been curious, but my loyalties are always with Flint and this event – plus you can walk around downtown Flint much more easily.
But I’ll say this about the rolling cruise – what a great idea, to be able to see these cars moving, and hear their sounds. There’s just something about it.
Me too on the Cougar, but all in that lower body bronze please.
And I’ll also take that Charger SE. They’re not opera windows, they’re high-mounted speed gills.
“They’re not opera windows, they’re high-mounted speed gills”
That is simply the best, most creative and vivid description I have heard for those windows. You’ve got me laughing out loud with that – thank you.
I have always thought an opera window should be round or oval, but a more definitive definition is a window in the C-pillar that does not improve the drivers visibility. This probably makes the 75-76 C-pillar windows in the Cadillac, Buick Electra, Olds 98 and Bonneville functional windows instead of opera windows. Not sure about the Charger…
+1 Don wins!
The baracuda is a ’68 as it has the round marker side lights . I never liked the plymouth arrow until now . That blue one looks great
Thanks for the correction, FordFan – I’ll fix it, and I appreciate the heads-up! (I liked the taillights of the ’69 better. 🙂 )
It’s tough to compete with Woodward, but the mid-week cruises sound tempting.
There are two ginger ales on this earth…Vernors, and, everything else.
I’ll have to try Vernors. But it’ll have a hard time beating Blenheim (possibly the greatest thing to ever come from South Carolina). Dr. Brown’s also makes a quality, super-dry ginger ale.
Great photos. Thank you for sharing them with us!
I love the photos of the 1977 Gremlin. It looks like the cars that were featured in the ads of that time, along with road tests. The plaid seats were not common when these cars were new. Then again, 1977 Gremlins weren’t very common, as these cars were well past their expiration date by 1977, and that year’s facelift couldn’t hide that fact.
Great photos and what an interesting selection of cars–the Charger, the Starfire, the Arrow… I’d love to check out the festivities in person some time. Yet another item on the car-related bucket list…
That looks like a good time, I’m sorry you can’t make it this year.
That Starfire has inspired my newfound H-Body fever. Ever since the Monza/Mustang II comparison last week I’ve had H-Bodies on the brain. They’re so thin on the ground nowadays, having been mostly used up and scrapped (at least) 25 years ago. I have fond memories of dozens of those little cars, from the early 70’s when my mother owned them right up through college in the late 80’s. It seemed like every other under-25-year-old was driving a Monza, Sunbird, etc back in the day. The Olds and Buick variants were never as visible as their Chevy and Pontiac counterparts, but that Starfire looks like a time capsule, right down (up?) to the period correct pop-up sunroof.
Agreed , this looks like a bucket list contender .
.
-Nate
Mr. Dennis,
Once again a very interesting read. While I like reading your posts, I have to admit that I have a moment of trepidation before clicking on them to read as thanks to your post about the Ford Probe
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics/curbside-classic-1995-97-ford-probe-gt-it-didnt-name-itself/
I was feeling all nostalgic about the 1990’s and the place where I have bought a few cars from (I have gotten to be good friends with them and stop over to shot the crap every few weeks or so), the whole sale dude had a nice condition 1994 Ford Probe base that was fully loaded with a manual transmission. My price was $900. I bought it, I have had to repair a few things(power antenna, replace shift boot etc) and dump the cassette radio for a radio with a USB port but it is a joy to drive (especially around corners) and though it has the 4 cyl engine, it is pretty quick for what it had. it is also very gas friendly.
It was a 1 owner car and the car was bought at the tail end of 1994(right as I was entering my senior year in high school (class of 1995)
Leon, that’s so awesome – $900 for a loaded ’94 Probe in good condition? If I had parking, I’d have done the same thing. Mine had the exact same plastic wheel-covers (which looked like alloys). Glad you found some shaded parking, because with that glassy greenhouse, I remember it getting pretty warm inside in the summer.
What a relief! I thought I was the only person who liked the Plymouth Arrow! I have always liked the Starfire and its platform sharing cousins also.
Looks like a great show with lots of diversity!
Those “fangs” are called dagmar’s I think.
Yes, they are called “Dagmars” after a television actress from the early 1950s.
Cougar, Charger, ‘Cuda, and a Celeste? How the hell am I supposed to choose just one from that perfect mix?!? The green Charger is very fetching in Emerald, though…
I love that the Starfire (and Arrow) got so much attention out of this bunch. The Starfire really is striking in person. When I had first seen it, maybe at the 2011 show, I had talked with the owner (really nice guy), and the car looked basically stock. So it was a super-unicorn. But I like what he’s done with it…you can tell he’s really proud of what must be the nicest ’79 Oldsmobile Starfire left in the country.
Great looking show and atmosphere, Joseph!
. My pick – the Olds 4-4-2, and to me at least, there’s something of the Renault 17 in that Plymouth Arrow.
If you can’t go, can I have your ticket? 😉
I have no excuse not to go to this, Flint is only 1/2 hour away from home.
Alas, I have not done so in past years.
Dan, you won’t regret it. The main concert isn’t downtown anymore (I think this year it’s near Saginaw St. and Hemphill, by the Tech Center / former site of Fisher One), and I don’t think the Capital Theater is open to the public, but you can check out the events roster at the website (www.backtothebricks.org). I’m sad I have to miss it this year!