2018 Detroit Autorama Mega Show Gallery!
The 2018 Detroit AutoRama is in full swing as you can see by the explosive lead photo. It seems everyone connected to the hot rod industry is here.
Started in the ’50s by a group of rodders who wanted a way to finance the construction of a local dragstrip, the car show has since grown into what its organizers call “America’s Greatest Hot Rod Show”, and it would be hard to argue the point.
Since 1962 the massive (600,000 square feet) Cobo Center has been home to the show and you can find every sort of hot rod, motorcycle, off-road, street racer import, and truck the customizing world has to offer.
There’s also a poorly-kept secret in the basement: The AutoRama Extreme. A mini show-within-a-show, the Extreme hosts 200 or so traditional and rat-roddy vehicles, and they have their own live music on stage as well as their own awards presentation. And over in one corner, 90-year-old customizing legend Gene Winfield gets busy chopping a vehicle from start to finish during the event. Is Gene a ruler or what?
In the upstairs show there’s a large Toy-A-Rama, while another stage had guest appearances by some stars of wrestling as well as industry and Hollywood types including Barry Meguiar, actor John Schneider, and NASCAR racing star Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – yes! Junior is here. Yet another stage was where the art auction was happening, with proceeds from the sale of artwork produced at the show going to Leader Dogs for the Blind.
But one of the main reasons the show has reached the national acclaim it has is the big award handed out on Sunday night: The Don Ridler Memorial Award. Rodders come from all over North America to compete for the prize, qualifying first by being picked at the show as a Great 8 finalist. A Great 8 award is a great accomplishment, but from those eight vehicles the Ridler award winner will be decided, and it’s always exciting when it’s announced.
Enjoy this look around the AutoRama!
2018 Detroit Autorama MEGA Gallery!
