The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) and the MotorCities National Heritage Area announced the Autopalooza 2013 lineup, which includes numerous cruises, car shows and races, Tuesday at General Motors Co.'s Heritage Center in Sterling Heights.
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich.- The 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will mark the official start of an auto-filled lineup of events in Southeast Michigan.
The three-day race is the start of a 16-event lineup of automotive events – from Flint to Detroit – called Autopalooza.
The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) and the MotorCities National Heritage Area announced the Autopalooza 2013 lineup, which includes numerous cruises, car shows and races, Tuesday at General Motors Co.’s Heritage Center in Sterling Heights.
“Autopalooza is a celebration of Southeast Michigan’s automotive heritage,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, during the event. “It’s uniquely about the car business and the passion people have around racing, performance and design.”
Autopalooza 2013 will start with the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix from May 31-June 2, and finish on Sept. 22 with the Orphan Car Show at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. Other notable events range from the 2013 Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise Aug. 17 in Metro Detroit to the Flint’s Back to the Bricks Cruise Weekend from Aug. 13-17.
The DMCVB has calculated that the annual revenue generated from Autopalooza events continues to exceed $100 million.
This is the sixth year Autopalooza has highlighted the Motor City's heritage with a lineup of events, according to DMCVB advertising manager Christopher Pokoski.
"We know there are car cruises every night of the week … but we want to make sure the quality of the events that we promote are something a visitor would be wowed by," he told MLive.com during a phone interview.
Autopalooza orginally started in 2007 as a term to highlight special auto-related events in August, but grew following the three-year cancellation of the Detroit Grand Prix in 2009, which returned last year.
Other officials attending the announcement included Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel; JR Hildebrand, IZOD IndyCar Series driver No. 4 Panther Racing Chevrolet; Charles Burns Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix general manager; Brian Joseph, of Concours d’Elegance; and Greg Rassel, president of the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Here’s a full list of Autopalooza 2013 events:
- Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, May 31-June 2
- Eastpointe Gratiot Cruise, June 15 in Macomb County
- Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Weekend, June 15-16 in Brooklyn
- Motor Muster, June 15-16 in Dearborn
- EyesOn Design, June 16 in Grosse Pointe Shores
- The Sloan Museum Auto Fair, June 22-23 in Flint
- Cruisin’ Downriver, June 29 in southern Wayne County
- RM Auctions Vintage Motor Cars, July 27 in Plymouth
- Concours d’Elegance of America, July 28 in Plymouth
- Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise, August 4 in Macomb County
- Back to the Bricks Cruise Weekend, Aug. 13-17 in Flint
- Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Weekend, Aug. 17-18 in Brooklyn
- Woodward Dream Cruise, Aug. 17 in Metro Detroit
- Cruisin’ Hines, Aug. 25 in Westland
- Old Car Festival, Sept. 7-8 in Dearborn
- Orphan Car Show, Sept. 22 in Ypsilanti
Check back to MLive.com for more details.