'Owners love to have spectators admiring their cars,' he says. 'Most of our members will even let you sit in their car, as long as you ask permission first. We're not hard to get along with, but people can get upset if their vehicles get messed up.'

 

Camplin, of Westland, says the biggest threats come from pets, children and strollers.

 

'Dogs on leashes can become a big problem when their owners aren't paying attention,' Camplin says.

 

'They jump up and scratch the paint with their claws, plus the leash can cause a 'burn' down the side. We had an incident at the Dream Cruise in which a dog jumped up and scratched a vehicle. The animal's owner didn't think it was such a big deal; we politely asked him to leave the viewing area.'

 

Everyone loves children, but kids can leave smear marks on cars or damage them if they bang on them with toys.

 

'Strollers can be a problem, too,' Camplin says. 'Sometimes they can nick a car and the owner doesn't even realize what happened.'

 

'Most of the time spectators are as cautious and courteous as the owners,' he says. 'Just use common sense.'