16 | AUGUST 17 • 2023 

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nificant item in their collection. “I bought 
that car when my mother passed away, so 
it has very special meaning to me, not to 
mention it’s just a beautiful car. It’s timeless; 
it’s retro-looking.
” The Z8 is also featured 
in the James Bond Movie The World Is Not 
Enough, she says. “It’s cool it was in a movie 
and, of course, my mother is all around me 
when I’m in that car, so I feel safe.
” 
And while she’s often the only woman 
“car nut” in the room, Mendelson says she’s 
met former women racecar drivers and 
some women in corporate roles within the 
car universe. She also once saw a Girl Scout 
Troop judging at a 
car competition, she 
recalls. 
“I’m an enthusi-
ast. I’m a collector. 

But I don’t offhand know any other women 
collectors,
” she says. 
For young girls looking to get into cars, 
she says to find a brand they like and start 
reading about it, and about the people 
who drive those cars. “Find the niche that 
appeals to you,
” she encourages. “Start vis-
iting car museums, reading books, going 
online, and see what direction it takes you.
” 
With the Woodward Dream Cruise 
right around the corner, Mendelson says 
she’s ready. She’s going to be set up on 
Woodward with the Detroit Athletic Club 
with tents, parking for cool cars and cham-
pagne, gathering Friday, a night of celebra-
tion ahead of the Dream Cruise. Saturday 
there will be parties hosted by car clubs and 
warehouses. 
“There are a bazillion cars and even more 

people,
” she says. “It’s become an epic, inde-
scribable event.
”
Meanwhile, being involved with cars has 
put her in the orbit of all kinds of people, 
she explains. “It’s more than just the cars — 
it’s the whole social scene around it I really 
enjoy as well,
” she says. “It’s the friendships, 
the associations, the relationships you make 
and develop, and those usually spin off into 
something else down the road.
” 

A Car Family

Ari Katz of West Bloomfield grew up 
with his late father, Steve, loving cars, 
sports car racing, open-wheel racing 
and more. His father bought a 1978 
Datsun 280z new in 1978, and got mar-
ried in 1981 so it’s been in the family 
longer than both him and his younger 
sister. “We’re definitely a car family,” he 
says. Today, Ari Katz attends car shows 
with his wife, Julie, and daughters Sadie, 
8, and Libby, 5. 
He’ll be at the Dream Cruise, where 
he says he’s looking forward to seeing 
some of his car buddies. He sees the 
Dream Cruise as a chance to appreciate 
the design and performance of the cars. 

“I always look forward to the Dream 
Cruise because it’s a great place to see 
so many different cars, and it’s exciting,” 
he says. “Going down to the Dream 
Cruise brings back great memories that 
I and my sister, Michele Gershonowicz, 
have growing up with our dad’s 1978 
Datsun 280z.”
Preserving the Datsun has expanded 
into an appreciation for other cars and 
car culture, he says. He has a second Z 
car, a 2009 370z he bought new that he 
enjoys racing at local autocross events. 
“There’s something for everyone, and 
being able to appreciate what other 
people like and getting together with 
other car people, you might not have 
anything else in common except that 

you like cars and you have great cars 
and you meet some wonderful people.” 
He’s also sharing that love of cars 
with both his family and the broader 
Jewish community. Katz participates in 
the Senior Dream Cruise at JSL to bring 
the cars to residents and can’t wait to 
see how his children’s passion for cars 
develops. 
“They’re finding out what they like,” he 
says. “If you ask them who their favorite 
racecar driver is … it's their dad!” 

The 15,000-square-foot garage in Royal Oak where 
the Mendelsons store and showcase their vehicles.

Ari with his 
Z car.

Ari, Julie, Sadie and Libby Katz with the 
1978 Datsun 280Z at the 2022 American 
Speed Festival at M1 Concourse.

OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

The 
Woodward 
Dream Cruise 
is Aug. 19.

