In 2010, I bought a 2002 General Motors Cadillac Escalade. It had a Corvette V8 engine, which made my SUV fast. By today’s standards, that Escalade would be considered a classic car.
That Cadillac was probably too fast for this chick who has a “lead foot,” which is probably genetic (ha, ha). Considering I am half Italian and half German, I think my need for speed comes naturally!
Seriously, though, on my father’s side of the family, my grandfather was an Indy car driver. Unfortunately, he died in a crash when my dad was thirteen years old, so sadly, I never got to meet him.
On my mother’s side of the family, my uncle did street racing for money and won a lot of races with the following muscle cars, which today would definitely be appraised as classic cars in Michigan:
- 1969 Pontiac GTO
- 1969 Ford Mach 1 Mustang
- 1970 Chrysler Plymouth Duster
- 1969 Chrysler Plymouth Road Runner
Those cars were very fast, and I thought my uncle was so cool – I looked up to him. Most notably, I remember the GTO as my favorite of all his muscle cars. Although I did love the Road Runner as well, especially the bumper sticker he had. It was a picture of the Road Runner from the Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoon classic with the words “Beep, Beep my Ass” on it.
Classic car definition, according to Fast Lane Classic Cars, is determined by, “Car enthusiasts, collectors, and even state DMVs often debate what qualifies as a classic car. The terms classic, vintage, and antique cars are thrown around so often that they can feel interchangeable. Yet, each has its own definition tied to age, history, and cultural significance.
By most standards, any car built in 1955 or later can be considered classic once it reaches at least 25 years of age. This is the age threshold many DMVs and insurance providers use, which is why people often ask is a 25-year-old car a classic. The answer is yes, provided it meets certain conditions like originality and historical interest.
The classic car definition covers a broad spectrum: postwar cruisers, muscle cars, European sports cars, and even pickup trucks and SUVs from the 1980s.
In recent years, the idea of future classic cars has reshaped the conversation. Vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s are now widely considered part of the classic world. Collectors are increasingly drawn to cars that defined the culture of those decades,”.
Throughout my life, from when I was a little girl with my mom to today as a mom myself, I have had the following autos – some classics, some not:
- 1968 Chevy Nova (muscle car classic)
- AMC Gremlin
- Pontiac Sunbird
- Ford Escort Wagon
- 1976 Chevy Camaro (muscle car classic)
- Mercury Tracer
- Ford Ranger
- Ford Explorer
- Jeep Commander
- Saturn Vue
- 2002 Cadillac Escalade (now a classic!)
- Buick Envision
- GMC Acadia
(Photo Credit: Bring a Trailer: 1969 Pontiac GTO)
Muscle car racing in the 70s and 80s in Michigan
From what I remember, some of the most (illegally) raced roads in the Southeast area of Michigan were (or still are):
- Woodward Avenue
- Telegraph Road
- Michigan Avenue
- Livernois Avenue
- Grand River Avenue
- East Grand Boulevard
- Interstate 696 freeway
- I-94 freeway
- Hines Drive (for those adrenaline junkies, since there are Wayne County Sheriffs all over this road)
- Sheldon Road and M-14 intersections (where the crazies are from my hometown of Plymouth!)
- M59 in Pontiac
Free legal racing roads in Michigan
Then there are legal spots where speed junkies can race freely without concern of speeding tickets or other legal problems. Here are some of those locations I found across the internet:
- Roadkill Nights (Pontiac)
- Lapeer International Dragway (Lapeer)
- Mid-Michigan Motorplex (Stanton)
- Grattan Raceway (Belding)
- Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn): Hosts the NASCAR Racing Experience and other high-speed events.
Pure Michigan, the Mitten State’s official travel and tourism website, shares these notable racetracks, “Here’s a sampling of the more than two dozen raceways across the state:
- Auto City Speedway in Clio started as a dirt track in 1955 and today hosts over 30 racing events on its one-mile paved track.
- Berlin Raceway in Marne, which opened in 1950, is a 7/16-mile paved oval that hosts Saturday race nights for Late Models, Pro Stocks, Super Stocks, and 4-Cylinders.
- Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run has hosted many of Michigan’s motorsports greats since it opened in 1948 with a dirt 1/3-mile track. The original short track was paved in the 1960s, and Figure 8 was added in 1994 and a 4/10-mile track in 2003.
- Kalamazoo Speedway with its 3/8-mile high banked paved oval with 14 degrees banking, hosts a NASCAR-sanctioned weekly racing series for Outlaw Super Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, and more.
- Kinross Speedpark in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, built in 1995, is one of the newer tracks in the state and hosts racing action on Friday evenings.
- Merritt Raceway, west of Houghton Lake, features dirt track racing on a 3/8-mile clay oval with most events on Saturday evenings.
- Milan International Dragway has hosted drag racing action since 1963; Shirley Muldowney hit 306 mph on its 1/4-mile straight dragstrip.
- Norway Speedway at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds has thrilled Upper Peninsula racing fans since it opened in 1942. Originally a dirt track, the 1/3-mile oval was blacktopped in 1979.
- Onaway Speedway is a 14-mile short track with a Saturday night schedule of Modifieds, Street Stock, Pure Stock V8s, Bombers and 4 Cylinders.
- Spartan Speedway in Mason has been attracting fans since its opening in 1956.
- Springport Motor Speedway opened in 1989 as the Michigan Ideal Speedway; its 3/8-mile high banked asphalt track was modeled after MIS on a 3/8-mile scale.
- US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, north of Kalamazoo, is billed as the fastest track in Michigan.
- Upper Peninsula International Raceway at the State Fairgrounds in Escanaba is a 1/5-mile clay track and the scene of a handful of race days in its second season, featuring 4-Cylinders, 6-Cylinders, 600 and 650 Microsprints.
- Waterford Hills Road Racing in Southeast Michigan is an approximately 1.4-mile road course for amateur racers,”.
Classic car definition
In conclusion, whether muscle car, postwar cruiser, or beloved SUV, classic cars carry more than horsepower—they carry memories. Michigan’s rich racing culture ensures these icons, and the stories surrounding them, will never lose their appeal.