Proud owners Cruze in

By KALEA HALL

khall@vindy.com

WARREN

Line ’em up and start the engines because it’s time to Cruze.

Dozens of proud Chevrolet Cruze owners were in town this week to tour the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant where their cars were made and to spend time at the United Auto Workers Local 1112 union hall with union and plant leaders.

“It’s amazing for us who make the car to be able to have that close of contact with our customer,” said Glenn Johnson, president of Local 1112.

Close to 50 Cruzes from green to sparkle blue to red-striped were lined up Friday at the union hall in Warren. Some drivers showed off their juiced-up engines, while others showed off their appealing exterior design.

“It’s very interesting to see the passion involved around our product,” said Steve Notar Donato, Lordstown plant manager.

Some came from Austintown, others from Indiana, Missouri and even Southern California.

Robert Gillespie drove 2,500 miles with his girlfriend, Sandy Bowman, to make it to the event, but that’s OK when you are in love with your all-white, personalized Cruze.

“Things you only see on TV we got to see today,” Bowman said.

Gillespie researched the Cruze before he decided to buy one last May. Fuel efficiency, the style and something he could customize were the necessities for his new car.

Gillespie had his Cruze lowered and added “California Cruzes” to the windshield, in addition to some other personal touches.

“It has some engine goodies,” he said.

Through his Cruze research he found the cruzetalk.com forum with thousands of Cruze owners and potential owners, and then learned about the trip some of the owners take to the Lordstown plant.

Andrei Pop has organized the Lordstown event for Cruze owners the past few years. Pop manages the forum discussions on cruzetalk.com. Chances are if someone Googles anything Cruze, this forum will pop up. Some discussion has taken place on the excitement for the next-generation Cruze, which will be unveiled June 24 in Detroit.

Pop, a 2012 Cruze Eco owner, joined the forum a few years ago and then started to manage it. Now, there are about 18,000 registered members on the forum where discussions are mostly Cruze-related.

The event was a way for the Cruze owners to hang out in person, check out one another’s Cruze and, of course, tour the plant.

“The Cruze is very reliable,” Pop said. “The fit and finish is better than anything I have ever seen from GM. Everyone loves it, whether you are 18 or 65.”