If you are a rabid Dodge/Mopar fan who was unable to make it
to the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise or if
you did make it to Detroit you didn’t make it to the Chrysler display – you’re in
luck as we have a huge gallery of the Chrysler Group and Mopar display from the
2012 Dream Cruise.
Chrysler has what is arguably the most impressive OEM
display at the Woodward Dream Cruise, covering a massive parking lot area at
the corner of 13 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue. This spread includes everything from Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Mopar and
Fiat both old and new – with both privately owned vehicles and company owned
models borrowed from facilities like the Walter P Chrysler Museum in Auburn
Hills.From the 1969 Hemi Cuda Super
Stock car to the 2013 Dodge Dart rally car and from a 1949 Dodge pickup to the
incredible Ram Runner pace truck,the
Chrysler display truly touches on just above every aspect of the Mopar universe
from the last 75 years.
This year, highlighting the Chrysler Woodward Dream Cruise
display was the 2013 SRT Viper GTS but there was a full complement of current
production vehicles (many of which are tricked out by Mopar) with a chance for
fans to sit in and experience these new models in a more casual situation than
a dealership.
If you love Mopar, Dodge or any of the other Chrysler Group
vehicles – the Chrysler display at the Woodward Dream Cruise should be atop
your bucket list.The Dream Cruise
itself is well worth the cost of the trip to Detroit and the needed bullet
proof vest required to safely visit Detroit but the Chrysler Group display is
certainly one of the Cruise’s crown jewels.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
