Dream Cruise 2017 in pictures | You just have to see it

We can tell you all about the Woodward Dream Cruise, but words just don't cut it. Thousands of cars are in motion — the Detroit News says 40,000, but who can possibly know? There are historic cars. And works of art. Some are worth vast sums of money, and some are rat rods and rust buckets. And some are bizarre creations that make you ask, "What were they thinking?" But all are labors of love, objects of desire for every taste.

Momentum for the Cruise has been building over many Michigan summer evenings, with more interesting cars appearing each night and more spectators drawn to Woodward seemingly by instinct. Until finally, Saturday arrived — the proper day of the Dream Cruise. An estimated 1.5 million people line the miles of Woodward Avenue each year, and it's a mellow and appreciative crowd, united by its love of cars.

Autoblog's staff has been cruising and watching throughout the day. We've been posting videos here. And now, here is a collection of images — two collections, one at the top of this page and one below. Yes, there are a lot of them — but this is just scratching the surface of what you see at the Dream Cruise.

If you attended, you might see yourself in these pictures. If you're elsewhere, this is what the world's biggest automotive event looks like. You should join the crowd. Next year's Dream Cruise is Aug. 18.