Detroit's gearheads rejoice: Autorama custom car show is back
After two years of delays and cancellations, Detroit’s gearheads finally have something to get excited about.
Autorama, one of the country’s largest and most revered custom automobile shows, returned to Detroit’s Huntington Place Friday for its 69th annual event. Over 800 personalized cars, trucks and motorcycles are on display as they compete for the coveted Ridler award, one of the highest honors in the custom car world.
Named in honor of the show’s original public relations director, Don Ridler, the award goes to the car the show’s judges deem the most creative — along with $10,000 in prize money. President of Championship Auto Shows Pete Toundas said that after the cancellation of 2021’s show, which was due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, he expects the competition to be stiffer than ever this year.
“People had a lot of time in 2021 to work on their cars, either finishing them or re-building them, making them better,” Toundas said. “The cars are going to be the stars. People are going to be absolutely blown away by some of these creations.”
The show is an opportunity for car lovers to get up close and personal with vehicles they’ve seen on TV or in magazines, allowing them to peek under the hoods and chat with the cars’ owners. Visitors will find restored 1930s flatheads, high-end performance vehicles, and everything between, offering something of interest for virtually any automotive enthusiast.
Dewayne Noble brought his project – an orange Volkswagen display that includes a neon orange classic Beetle as well as refurbished family heirlooms – up from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for its first Autorama appearance. He worked on the display with his wife, son and daughter, and although they weren’t able to join him for the show, he said the memories his family created while putting together the project are invaluable.
“We raised our kids (to) appreciate what you have regardless of how old it is,” Noble said. “My daughter (is) a local union welder now, because she had this hands-on experience. There’s a lot of family history here.”
Noble is one of many show participants who lack formal training in car mechanics. Part of the show’s appeal is that it welcomes hobbyists to display their works alongside big-name professionals — offering the chance for customizers to learn from each other.
“To see all these phenomenal looking cars — I'm in awe,” Noble said. “What an honor to be among some of the biggest car builders and car designers.”
Arguably the biggest name at the show is Chip Foose, the Santa Barbara, California-based star of the reality TV series"Overhaulin’, which ran for 9 seasons on TLC. Foose is a legend in the custom car world and has four Ridler awards to his name — more than any other winner. He’ll spend Friday afternoon at the show, signing autographs and snapping photos with fans.
More: Check out this restored 1932 Ford at Autorama
Other celebrity appearances include Danny Koker and Kevin Mack from the History channel series Counting Cars, WWE hall of fame wrestler Sting, and David Ankin, star of the Motor Trend TV series Toymakerz.
While the star power is a big draw, Toundas said another highlight of the show is its 50th anniversary display of Zingers — full-sized model cars that were released as DIY kits in the 1970s.
“These things look like Hot Wheel on steroids; you're not going to believe how cool they are,” Toundas said. “We decided that we were going to have one of every kind of Zinger built together at one time, and I think it's been (roughly) 34 years since that has happened.”
On the lower level of Huntington Place, visitors will find Autorama Extreme, a "show within a show" that features more than 200 traditional hot rods inspired by the 1950s. Among them are a 1948 Diamond T, a 1955 F-500 and a 1960 F-100 belonging to Trenton resident Jack Burnette, who said the cancellation of last year's event was such a disappointment, he ended up going to a different show because he was so "geeked out."
"I think that there's a lot of pent up demand," Toundas said. "We are absolutely ecstatic to be back."
The show runs through Sunday, with daily passes starting at $25 for adults and $10 for kids under 12. Admission is free for children under 5. For more information, visit autorama.com.
Lauren Wethington is a breaking news reporter. You can email her at LGilpin@freepress.com or find her on Twitter at @laurenelizw1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Autorama custom car show is back in Detroit
