Tag Archives: classics

A picture perfect day brought the cars out for Metro Cruise’s annual dust off

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Non-Profits, Our Cities, , , ,

By Aaron Robins
WKTV Community Contributor

The sun was out along with many spectators gathered at the Wyoming Moose Lodge to admire new and classic cars for Metro Cruise’s annual Dust Off event this past Saturday.

Car owners came in from around West Michigan putting their best vehicles out for display. The first 75 classic car participants that showed up were awarded free t-shirts. As they enjoyed the cars, guests were also treated to food, drinks and a chance to meet some of the girls from the Miss Metro Cruise competition.

 

Jene Billings, of Kentwood and his daughter Cathy DeLaney, of Middleville, often attend Metro Cruise events together. (WKTV)

“You can see by the participation that people are coming out in droves,” said Keith Morgan, president and CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the annual Metro Cruise that will run Aug. 26 and 27. “I think people are looking for it. They’re ready for it. And by having Metro Cruise, it gives them another opportunity to express their interest and desire to get back out.”

The Metro Cruise is put on by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to help bring business to the local community and give residents a chance to show off their stuff. Jene Billings, 90, from Kentwood and his daughter Cathy DeLaney, 65, from Middleville, enjoyed the sun as they displayed a new truck.

“I wanted to show my truck off and look at all of the good iron that shows up out here. That’s it, just have a good day.” said Billing said, with his daughter Cathy DeLaney adding that the he and his daughter come out to Metro Cruise every year and even have a specific spot they spend that lets the show come to them.

Alan Wright, 78, from Wyoming, is also no stranger to the Metro Cruise. He brought out his 1958 Ford Thunderbird, a car that he also had when he and his wife got married back in 1966.

“As years went by and uh… the kids got through school and got married, I wanted another classic car so I bought a (19)58 Thunderbird,” said Wright, who is one of 10 drivers who bring the Miss Metro Cruise up to the main state during Metro Cruise.

Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin was out encouraging people to participate in the 2022 Miss Metro Cruise competition. (WKTV)

Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin attended the annual Dust Off event, meeting with potential contestants of the competition. The preliminary competition for Miss Metro Cruise will take place on July 9. The primary narrows the contestants down to 10 finalists who will compete at Metro Cruise in August. Kelvin’s advice for newcomers was to “Just come do it.”

 

“Anybody can do this, it’s just a matter of relaxing and giving it a try,” said Kelvin.

This year’s Metro Cruise, Aug. 26 and 27, will also have a second event following the same format as the Rogers Plaza event, happening at Woodland Mall. The collector cars, food trucks, bands, and some other entertainment will be featured at the event according to 28th Street Metro Cruise Event Manager Brandon Simmons. Visit the Metro Cruise Facebook page for more information on upcoming events.

Grand Rapids Auto Gallery, the Gilmore become a resource for movie cars for Metro Cruise

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local History, Upcoming Events, ,
The WKTV crew utilizes the Gilmore Museum as a 1930’s car showroom.

By WKTV Staff
tom@wktv.org

As part of its coverage for the 28th Street Metro Cruise, WKTV Community Media is creating three short films directed by regional filmmakers whose mission was simple:  take six minutes telling a narrative film story about classic cars and classic design. All three projects, which are now nearing completion in production and moving through various stages of post production, covered the breadth of some of the most fabulous steel and iron to roll off American assembly lines.

In the course of producing the films, WKTV was charged with sourcing many of the classics for the film productions. Those cars included a 1954 Buick Century convertible in daffodil yellow from the Grand Rapids Auto Gallery along with a 1938 Ford Cabriolet.

The GR Auto Gallery loans a 1938 red Ford Cabriolet for the proper setting in front of the Civic Auditorium.

“While the Grand Rapids Auto Gallery acts as a consignment dealer for classic cars, they were generous with loaning us three vehicles from their collection,” said Tom Norton, the series producer, including a 1958 white Corvette with a red interior that appeared on WKTV’s Metro Cruise coverage in 2019.

  
Another resource came from the Gilmore Car Gollection near Galesburg, Michigan.

“The Gilmore is such a treasure regionally and they were just wonderful,” Norton said. “When the script for one of the films called for an Auburn dealership from the 1930s, they were able to provide the entire set filled with shiny, gorgeous Auburn classics from the thirties.  Just…wow!”

Ella Campbell from East Kentwood High School participated in the production as a script supervisor.


One hurdle for the three films was arranging period wardrobe. WKTV called on two resources, the Grand Rapids Civic Theater and Wyoming High School’s theater department and both were able to assist in outfitting characters from the 1930s, 1950s and 1980s.

The crew films the eighties short film “Drive” for Metro Cruise.

The first film in the Metro Cruise series is called “Drive” and features a 1980s theme. The film takes place on a drag strip and, directed by WKTV volunteer Kyle Misak, stars from “American Idol” Margie Mays as a mechanic working on a drag strip with homage to all 1980s vehicles. The six minute music video took six days for Misak and his crew to shoot.

Margie Mays from “American Idol” stars in the eighties Metro Cruise film “Drive.”

The second film, directed by GVSU professor John Philbin called “No Trip for Biscuits,” takes place in the 1930s and follows the philosophy of legendary designer Gordon Buehrig of the great Dusenberg classics.  The short film features cameo appearnances by “Carol Lombard” and “Gary Cooper” and was filmed at the Gilmore Museum and in front of the 1930s facade of the old Civic Auditorium.


“What we loved about this project,” Norton said, “was that all of the filmmakers pulled out all the stops in terms of their creativity and resourcefulness to make these three period films happen. And of course, the classic auto community from GR Auto Gallery to the Gilmore provided serious lift as well.”

Grand Rapids Auto Gallery donated the use of this 1954 Buick Century for the Metro Cruise film “Horizon.”

The last of the films’ “Horizon” which takes place during the 1950s and combines the design of the classic fifties vehicles with the civil rights struggles of the day, is just going into post production. All three films will be available on WKTV and on the station’s video on demand service this fall.