Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise

Woodward Avenue is gridlocked. Deliberately. Traffic in the four northbound lanes is stationary, held in check behind a black Chevrolet Suburban and a Hummer H2. Now, with the huge SUVs parked longitudinally across Woodward, the road ahead is clear, and our entourage can begin to move out from the Athens Coney Island diner.

‘Let’s go!’ urges a suddenly anxious Richard Ferlazzo from the wheel of Efijy, willing the train of vehicles in front of us to accelerate. This is the moment the normally affable Holden designer has been dreaming about since his instantly iconic concept car was unveiled at the 2005 Sydney Motor Show. Efijy is all-Australian, but spiritually the sleek fantasy on wheels might have been specifically styled for Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise. Forget Goodwood or Pebble Beach: this is easily the biggest motoring event on the planet. Ferlazzo’s claim that ‘There is no venue more suitable for this car in the world’ seems utterly justified.

A ’57 Chevy poster in the Athens Coney Island diner says it all: ‘Other Cities Have Art Fairs.’