Matthew Rouleau, 47, of Mount Clemens, brought his dad’s 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala to Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot June 13.
By: Maria Allard | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published June 14, 2026
EASTPOINTE — “I’m gonna ride around in style. I’m gonna drive everybody wild. ’Cause I’ll have the only one there is around.”
That was Johnny Cash singing his heart out on “One Piece at a Time.” The song about relocating from Kentucky to work on a Detroit assembly line — and eventually finding parts to make your own automobile from scratch — boomed over the loudspeakers.
It was one of many car tunes DJ Jim Randlett, of Sound Sensation, spun during the 27th annual Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot June 13. Randlett was on duty at Eastpointe High School, the cruise hub and also the spot for a colorful car show of all makes and models where engines purred and chrome shined.
The event, held under sunny skies, has been a tradition in the city since 1999, bringing car buffs together while raising money for local charities. The cruise adorned Gratiot Avenue, between Eight Mile and 10 Mile roads, with vintage vehicles, hot rods and muscle cars of blue, green, red, yellow, orange, black and gold. Although the cruise was smaller than in past years, it still brought out diehard car fans and onlookers who reminisced over cars of the past.
Pauly “G” Gutkowski, who runs Pauly G’s Car Cruis’n Page on Facebook, purchased his 1968 Mercury Cougar about 10 years ago. He takes it out every week during cruise season.
“I’ve always liked the Cougar. I never thought I’d buy one, but I’ve owned three,” Gutkowski said. “I happened to come across it and the price was right. It’s got manual steering and a manual transmission.”
Gutkowski, of Warren, resided in Eastpointe when the cruise began 27 years ago.
“When it started, it was like a mini-Woodward,” he said.
Not far away, Matthew Rouleau, 47, sat in the driver’s seat of his dads’s 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala, affectionately named “My Girl.”
“It’s sea green with a foam green top. They called them two-tone back then,” said Rouleau, of Mount Clemens. “You don’t see a lot of them on the road. They’re very rare.”
Typically, Rouleau’s father drives the vintage ride. He’s been ill recently and wasn’t able to attend Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot this year, so Rouleau got behind the wheel instead.
“I take it to car shows more or less,” said Rouleau, who also owns a 1980 Buick Regal. “I want to keep the car scene going.”
Derian Shaffer, of Oak Park, and his wife and children cruised to the car show in his 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic. Shaffer, 36, also owns a 1975 Buick Electra.
“I grew up in car culture and I just like the older-model styles,” said Shaffer, who experienced his first Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot this year. “It looks like a good turnout. There’s a nice variety of cars.”
Chuck Marchese, 74, brought his 1968 matador red Chevrolet Chevelle to the cruise.
“I like coming here and sitting here and watching everybody go by,” the Sterling Heights resident said. “I bought the Chevelle back in 1995 out of Nashville. I had a buddy that lived down there. I told him if you ever see a ’68 for sale, let me know. He found one.”
The car came with a four-speed manual transmission.
“That’s what a muscle car is for, shifting gears,” said Marchese, a 1969 Sacred Heart High School graduate in Roseville. “It’s fun. When in high school, I had a white one just like this. Every one of us had a muscle car. Gas was only 20 cents a gallon.”
Meeting up at the Gratiot Drive-In or the local Burger King was how they spent their leisure time.
Local radio disc jockeys got into the classic car culture. “Screamin’” Scott Randall, from 94.7 WCSX, mingled with the crowd at Eastpointe High School while “Meltdown,” from 101 WRIF, found a prime spot at Cloverleaf Restaurant and Bar.
While putting on the event is a lot of work for the cruise committee volunteers, they say it’s worth it.
“With all the trials and tribulations, taking a look around, seeing all the cruisers, some of the cars the gearheads own and all the foot traffic, makes it all worthwhile,” Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot Inc. President Steve Upton said, adding, “We did not have as many sponsors this year. We hope for more next year.”
Earlier in the day, an opening ceremony was held at the high school where the master of ceremonies, the Rev. Albert Rush, pastor of Eastpointe Immanuel Methodist Church, welcomed everyone. Prayers were recited for the city of Eastpointe, elected officials, Eastpointe Community Schools, the cruisers and more.
The ceremony also gave everyone a chance to remember longtime cruise volunteer Diane Reece-Seger, who ran Clovers Collision & Mechanical Repair with her husband, Michael Seger. Reece-Seger died from medical complications Jan. 8, 2026. She was 76.
“She sat on just about every organization in the city. “There wasn’t any group that wasn’t touched one way or another,” Eastpointe Lions Club member Ken Thiel said. “She was in and out of the hospital. God was trying to tell us he was getting ready to take her.”
He said she was “the glue” that held the Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot committee together. Thiel said Reece-Seger chose Upton and his wife, Sharon Upton, to take over cruise duties to keep the event going.
“Diane did right by picking those two,” Thiel said.
The Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot committee is already looking for volunteers and sponsors for next year’s event. For more information, go to cruisin-gratiot.com.