Routes and sidewalks that were jammed all day remained so, as if crowds didn't want to abandon the fun. The unmistakably Motown sounds of revving engines and squealing tires that began in the morning continued as darkness fell.

As many as 40,000 classic and muscle cars hit the 16-mile stretch from Ferndale to Pontiac. Police at several agencies reported no problems.

'The parking lots are full and they're staying full,' said Greg Rassel, Royal Oak's representative on the board that coordinates the cruise. 'That either means a lot of people are coming and going or people are having a good time and staying.'

Gas may sell at $3.85. The auto industry may be in the dumps. Michigan is mired in a recession. But mixing equal parts optimism, nostalgia and true-blue, make-no-apologies love of American muscle, the 14th annual Woodward Dream Cruise just kept packing 'em in.

'It's still the Motor City. It's our history,' said Bart Kabot of Sterling Heights.

For the uninitiated or skeptical, this is what it's all about: Kabot and Dawn Wishaw brought out their orange '70 Chevelle SS Model early. All week, they made treks along the historic drag. After a few hours on the road Saturday, they parked in a Birmingham lot, letting admiring eyes check under the hood.

The crowds no doubt were bolstered by made-to-order weather. Temperatures kissed 82 degrees and nary a cloud competed with the cascade of classic cars.

'The weather's been perfect. I think that helps,' said Michael Kohler, a 58-year-old Trenton resident. 'We can't say that about years past.'

Shanna Marcero and her husband, Keith, planted lawn chairs and their yellow 1970 Torino GT on the west side of Woodward north of 11 Mile before 9 a.m. The Chesterfield Township couple spent the rest of the day watching the parade go by.

'The weather's beautiful -- you can't complain about that -- with the breeze and everything,' Shanna Marcero said.

Spectators were both sedentary and ambulatory in Birmingham.

Some were parked in folding chairs along the route, down for the duration. 'We're here and we're not going anywhere for the rest of the day,' said Mary McDonald, 54, of Clawson. 'This spot's as good as any.'

Others, often carrying a lawn chair under each arm, were in search of greener, or perhaps shadier pastures.

Thirty dollars bought you a parking spot in a small weeded lot off Bowers, and on the other side of Woodward, Chevelles, Corvettes and even a Chrysler New Yorker -- about 15 feet long -- were lined up with the hoods popped open to admiring eyes.

Bands played around at least three venues, and digital cameras got a workout.

'It's already been good. We're having a great time,' said Paul Mead of Mississauga, Ont., who was part of a seven-classic-car caravan that made the 340-mile trek Thursday from near Toronto.

'It's worth the ride,' said Mead's traveling companion Tony 'Hollywood' Balestrin, 39, also of Mississauga.

Some folks opted for the northern end of the cruise route in Pontiac. There, smaller crowds enjoyed the view of more spacious streets, where cruisers had room to rev their engines and light up their tires.

Michael Postell of Pontiac took his 1955 Chevy Belair for a spin north of Big Beaver before parking it along Woodward. He said the hot-rod atmosphere is just as good at the Cruise's northern end.

'I love the older cars; it's the atmosphere,' he said. 'Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been into cars.'

The day began early, when about 100 cars started their engines in unison in the early dawn sun just outside the GM World Headquarters at the Renaissance Center. Then, one by one, they started their steady drive up Woodward Avenue.

The rare spectacle is just one way GM is marking its 100th anniversary of making cars.

'It's amazing,' said Jeb Rand, 43, of Atlanta, Ga., who was driving his 1927 Cadillac seven-passenger sedan closely behind GM CEO and Chairman Rick Wagoner, who was leading the caravan in an E85 ethanol powered Corvette Z06.

'I'm honored to be a part of this history,' Rand said.

The history of Woodward and the Motor City leads John Chahwan of Boston to call the Dream Cruise 'the best car show there is.'

For three years, Chahwan has made the 11-hour trek to his uncle's home in Windsor for the Dream Cruise, most recently with his '70 Cutlass. Like many on the 16-mile drag, they don't plan to leave for a long time.

'We'll be here until the last car leaves. We may be the last,' said uncle Gordon Purdy.