by A. Wayne Ferens
Photos from the Henry Ford Heritage Association, the Ferens Collection and the Automobile Reference Collection
Published 3.26.2025
Detroit’s Automobile Golden Jubilee began with the lighting of this large revolving sculpture in Grand Circus Park, using a stick of beryllium, the first peacetime use of atomic energy. (Henry Ford Heritage Association)
On March 6, 1896, Charles Brady King test drove the first self-propelled carriage along Woodward Avenue reaching speeds up to five miles per hour. Three months later on June 4, 1896, Henry Ford successfully piloted his first experimental automobile, called the Quadricycle, for several blocks around Detroit.
Fifty years later on May 29, 1946, a 10-day long "Golden Jubilee" was held to celebrate Detroit as the Automobile Capital of the World and the industry that produced over 90 million automobiles in those first 50 years.
Working with the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA), the well-respected William S. Knudsen, former president of General Motors, was named Committee Chairman and George Romney hired as Managing Director of the event. Months were spent in preparation. Banquets were held at Detroit's Masonic Temple to honor 14 great auto pioneers, including Henry Ford, R.E. Olds, Frank Duryea, Apperson, Holley, Nash and King, as well as the workers, suppliers, craftsmen, dealers, advertisers and race drivers that made an impact in the industry.
A 1946 Detroit Auto Golden Jubilee newspaper ad designed by futurist Arthur Radebaugh.
Of course, since the event was a Golden Jubilee, Woodward Avenue had to be “gilded in gold.” Before the start of the event, city workers painted six blocks of the street with a special gold paint mixture that would wear and erode soon after the festivities were over. Woodward Avenue would be the main thoroughfare for parades and events during the Jubilee. Celebrations were also held around Grand Circus Park, Olympia Stadium, the Masonic Auditorium, and Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium).
Workers spraying gold paint on Woodward Avenue at night for over six blocks in preparation for the Auto Jubilee celebrations that included 72 floats. Pylons decorate light posts in the background. (MacGregor)
Over 750,000 people line Woodward Avenue to view one of many parades celebrating the first 50 years of the automobile that made Detroit the Automobile Capital of the World. The opening parade was led by over 300 pioneering automobiles driven through Detroit on May 31, 1946. (Ferens Collection)
One of the most popular floats in the parade was this General Motors Buick hood ornament moving along Woodward Avenue painted in gold to the cheers of the thousands of spectators along the route. All nine GM divisions had floats. Car displays, special exhibits and events were located throughout the city. (Ferens Collection)
Many automobile pioneers and celebrities attended the Automotive Pioneers Golden Jubilee banquet and ceremony on May 31 at Detroit's Masonic Temple including 82-year-old Henry Ford and 68-year-old daredevil American race driver Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield with his signature cigar. This would be the last time the two friends and auto titans would be seen together, as both passed away in the next 11 months. (Ferens Collection)
The Ford Motor Company section of the Jubilee parade as it advances toward the reviewing stand located on Detroit's City Hall steps. (Automobile Reference Collection)
Crowds filled Washington Boulevard among the lighted Pylons every evening not just to celebrate the past, but to look towards the future of the automobile industry, following the shortages and sacrifices caused by World War II. Automobile production resumed in the summer of 1945, but material shortages limited output. (Pierce Associates)
Just about every major Detroit automobile manufacturer and supplier was represented with parade floats and indoor and outdoor displays. All types of vehicles were made available for public viewing, including the earliest examples of the horseless carriage, experimental vehicles, and the newest post-war production cars. This photo shows a covered indoor exhibit by Nash Motors, the automotive division of Nash-Kelvinator. Charles Nash, then 82, was one of the 14 living pioneers honored. (Ferens Collection)
A commemorative souvenir of the Jubliee
During the final days of the event, a rally was held at Briggs Stadium on Michigan Avenue in Corktown, just west of downtown. Automaker management and labor representatives came together to show unity by committing to keep the industry growing and producing quality automobiles, while keeping Detroit the Automobile Capital of the World.
Watch a video about the Jubilee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIBVzAxjICM
Bibliography:
Detroit Free Press
Golden Jubilee Program
Life Magazine, June 17, 1946
Automobile Reference Collection
YouTube