by George Dyke…..
Gabe, Peter and Steve Bandy hosted a fun-filled weekend in Detroit on September 16 and 17. Wonderful for Club members as the weather was perfect; sunny and seasonal, the food was plentiful and delicious in the Hungarian tradition, and there was much to see in the Ford neighbourhood of Motor City. It was less ideal for Ford employees as on the day we arrived, Ford announced that 10,000 people would be laid off.
View a full Photo Gallery of the weekend event here.
The impact was not apparent to us even during the tour of the Ford Rouge River plant, as on Friday afternoons the plant is not in production. F-150 trucks sat dormant, in various states of assembly. Nevertheless, we were able to walk through the plant from a catwalk perspective, stopping at various areas to see videos of the assembly process. Prior to the tour, we were marshalled into a film theatre where we learned about the interesting history of the Rouge River plant and gained candid insights into the
Friday night we attended a local “Detroit iron” car show. I think we were the only imported cars there. The sight of hydraulic Citroëns doing their thing really had the locals in awe! Funny, but not a single 2CV made an appearance the whole weekend. Too bad…
The Henry Ford Museum provided the backdrop for a fascinating Saturday to explore the technological evolution of the 20th century. Inside are wonderful examples such as;
Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion house (a lightweight structure suspended on a single pole),
the first aircraft to fly over the south pole (a Ford Tri-motor),
former Presidential limousines, (like this one from the Regan era),
the largest locomotive ever built (the Allegheny 6010),
steam engines,
the all American original Oscar Meyer Wienermobile,
and a Bugatti Royale Type 41 Cabriolet, one of only six Royales still in existence in the world!
We were also given the royal treatment with dinner at a local Hungarian restaurant. Most found the experience so appetizing that they ate there both nights!
Each evening we capped off the day with a refreshing beverage and talking Citroëns in the motel parking lot.
Thanks go to a Bandy of brothers; Steve, Peter and Gabe for organizing this wonderful fall event!