Новый документальный фильм HOT ROD рассказывает историю легендарной Уудворда и формирования автокультуры Детройта

Woodward Avenue: The Road That Built Detroit Car Culture HOT ROD’s new documentary tells the story of the racers, engineers, and machines that made Woodward an icon. Woodward Avenue is more than the home of the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge. It is one of the most important roads in American automotive history. Running north from downtown Detroit through communities such as Ferndale, Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, and Pontiac, Woodward became the center of Detroit cruising and street-racing culture during the height of the muscle car era. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler engineers tested cars on it, legendary street machines prowled the boulevard, and generations of enthusiasts helped turn Woodward Avenue into an iconic symbol of Detroit car culture. In our new HOT ROD documentary, we explore the people, cars, stories, and history that made Woodward one of the most famous automotive roads in America. A Route That Is Centuries Old The original route was established long before the automobile was invented—a few centuries earlier, in fact. Native Americans had carved a trail running north from the Detroit River toward what would eventually become the city of Pontiac. By 1805, the route had grown into an important trade and transportation corridor, but a devastating fire gave Detroit an opportunity to rethink the city itself. Under the leadership of Judge Augustus B. Woodward, a new plan was developed around broad avenues extending from the city center like spokes on a wheel. The main avenue heading north would become Woodward Avenue, named in recognition of Augustus Woodward and his vision for Detroit. Detroit expanded throughout the 19th century, and Woodward evolved from a rough road into one of the city’s primary commercial and residential corridors. As the population pushed outward, businesses, neighborhoods, churches, theaters, and other institutions followed, turning Woodward into one of Detroit’s most important arteries. Building Woodward for the Automobile Age By the early 20th century, Detroit had become the center of the American automobile industry, and Woodward Avenue ran straight through it. In 1909, the Wayne County Road Commission constructed a mile of concrete roadway on Woodward between Six Mile and Seven Mile roads, a stretch widely recognized as the first full mile of concrete highway in the United States. But that would not be the only time Woodward played a role in transportation history. Nine years later, Detroit police officer William Potts developed the nation’s first four-way electric traffic signal using red, yellow, and green lights. As Detroit’s suburbs continued to take shape, they became home to the automotive workers, engineers, designers, and executives driving the industry forward. Woodward naturally became the artery connecting Detroit with those rapidly expanding communities. Following World War II, hot rodding exploded in popularity, and Woodward Avenue provided the perfect setting for a growing car culture. With miles of open roadway, cheap gasoline, drive-in restaurants, and a city full of people obsessed with automobiles, cruising was almost inevitable. Car culture had arrived on Woodward, and its best years were still ahead.