PONTIAC, Mich. – Yes, it’s still winter, but that doesn’t mean Ford enthusiasts aren’t thinking about their collectible and classic cars. For the past few weeks, we’ve been receiving emails in our ClubHub@Ford.com inbox asking about upcoming car shows and cruises – and we’re just barely into 2023! One of our favorites that was mentioned was the regular big cruise-ins at the M1 Concourse. This facility in Pontiac, Michigan, (just north of Detroit) is a car-lover’s dream, with a 1.5-mile road course track, a paved skid pad, and a few hundred private-garage man caves (with a scant few still available for purchase).

Nearly every month, the crew at M1 open the gates to the general public for a mega “Cars & Coffee” event. Car owners bring the vehicles, while local sponsors supply the coffee and donuts. You’ll need walking shoes if you plan to see all the vehicles that show up for these gatherings. Early arriving attendees wind up parking up and down the skid pad, which can handle about 250 vehicles, as well as multiple vendors and any M1 concourse display vehicles. Once that fills up, they begin parking vehicles on either side of the track, which fills up quickly when the weather is pleasant.

The M1 Cruise-ins start each year in the spring and take place the first Saturday of each month through the fall. As you might expect, Ford fans have plenty to see at an M1 Cars & Coffee, from classic Mustangs and Fords to Shelby GT350’s and GT500’s, to Focus RS’s and even Ford GT’s. To hold you over until they begin this season, we decided to give you a taste of one of these cool events with a photo tour by Ford retiree, super-enthusiast and longtime photojournalist Bill Cook. Bill visited M1 last fall at the penultimate show, and sent us his photos.

“I started the day early at M1’s Cars & Coffee arriving 15 minutes before the gates opened at 8 a.m.,” Cook told us. “They do not allow us to line up on the streets, but I solve this by parking nearby until I see the gate being opened. With it being Labor Day Weekend 2022, it was not as crowded for a change. No backup at entry. No worry about getting a spot. Less stress. But it was still a big crowd with plenty of interesting rides from the metro Detroit area. Take a look . . .”

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY BILL COOK