Nothin' but Vette on Old Woodward

Chevrolet Corvettes were the talk of the Dream Cruise late Saturday afternoon in Birmingham.

A 1966 Vette was stolen in a local parking garage, dozens of cruisers showed off their restored classics along a closed stretch of Old Woodward, and Chevy product specialists showed off the newest 2015 models.

Jim Ryan, 80, of Birmingham owns a 1960 red convertible Corvette he bought for $12,500 in a cornfield in Metro Detroit in the 1980s. About $60,000 later, the Vette has won a number of local and national classic car show awards.

"It's like having a kid in college," Ryan said. "It keeps asking for more money."

Ryan said he'd like to sell his Vette and buy a new 2015 model. About a half-mile away, the new Vettes were stationed at Chevy's product display along with all its other vehicles.

Roger Hitchcock, 60, of Oxford also owns a red 1960 Corvette. But unlike Ryan, he's not as fond of the new models.

"I like to buy cars that go up in value," he said. "I don't want anything that depreciates."

Hitchcock has owned his Corvette for 12 years and said he bought it for its looks.

"It's more pleasurable to look at than drive," he said. "It drives like a truck, but it's just sexy."