Detroit was near its peak in population and employment in 1951, when this film begins. Let’s look in on some priceless Motor City history.

This newly restored and colorized film came to us courtesy of NASS without a specific date, but it was no trick at all identifying the year it opens. Just a few seconds in, there’s a shot of the old City Hall in Downtown Detroit with huge banners declaring the city’s 250th birthday in 1951. (Founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, Detroit is one of the oldest cities in the Midwest.) In the next eight minutes we see countless more Motor City landmarks, including the Penobscot Building, once the city’s tallest structure, and the Tuller, Detroit’s finest luxury hotel.

The tour then proceeds down Grand River Avenue, where we discover the Stark Hickey Ford dealership, its building designed by Alfred Kahn. With multiple locations, Stark Hickey (that was his name) was Detroit’s largest Ford dealer and sponsored a number of racers over the years, including Dick Brannan. And then, surprise, the camera homes in on the Hot Rod Shop, one of Detroit’s first speed shops, on Grand River a bit North of West Grand Boulevard. Founded by Bill Toia, the business grew into Gratiot Auto Supply.

Of course, the main attraction for us in these old street films is car spotting, and there are plenty to find here as Detroit then featured the largest percentage of personal auto ownership in the USA (naturally). Fords of ’49-51 vintage seem to predominate, but we also saw plenty of Chevrolets and Buicks, a Henry J, and a Step-Down Hudson Club Coupe. We also spotted a Willys Aero and a 1952 Ford Mainline, indicating that the filming stretched into the following year.

In 1950-51, Detroit reached its maximum population and peacetime employment with around 1.8 million residents. But over the coming years, as the freeways were built and the auto plants moved out to the suburbs or away from Michigan altogether, the city fell into steady decline. Today, the population is around 650,000. Here we see Detroit at its peak as the fourth largest city in the United States and one of the wealthiest. Enjoy the video.