The 52nd Annual Detroit Autorama

The Bar is Raised Yet Again

By Eric Geisert

In Detroit, the car is king, or at least it has been for the past 100 years or so. Before that, it was fur--Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac built a fort on le detroit (or in English; the straits) back in 1701. But after the bicycle craze died down in the last part of the 1800s, it was the automobile's turn to reign supreme.

When you drive anywhere near downtown Detroit you inevitably encounter neighboring towns and locations with names that are dear to the hearts of many a car nut. Dearborn, Pontiac, and Rochester are close to historic locations such as Ford's River Rouge steel plant and its Highland Park assembly facilities (where the moving assembly line was first put to the test).

Detroit, along with the American car market, has certainly seen its ups and downs over the past few years, however, the fascination with the automobile has never waned. Witness: The Detroit Autorama. Started in 1952 as a way for local car clubs (that organized themselves into the Michigan Hot Rod Association, or MHRA) to raise money for a race track, the event has also seen its ups and downs over the past five decades. However, as the show ramped up for its golden anniversary in 2001, there seemed to be a buzz in the air. The buzz continued throughout the 50th show (a real high-water mark for indoor car shows), and folks wondered what could ever top it.

Well, believe this: The show hasn't lost any of its luster in the two years since the 50th! In fact, this year's event had all the earmarks of another great show: thousands of spectators flowing into Cobo Hall, a professionally run event with enough to do and see for nearly anybody, and dozens of rod builders from around the country on hand with their latest creations.

And just like Detroit itself, the car is king at the Autorama. Part of it is due to the Don Ridler Memorial Award, which is regarded by many as the top award one can receive for a customized automobile. Ridler was a pioneer when it came to promoting car shows and, after he passed away in 1962, the show decided to honor his memory with a prestigious award.

Since its inception, rule number one has been that a car considered for the award could not have been shown anywhere else before the Autorama. But that also means any part of any frame, engine, or body, too, can't be shown in public either (but photos of those pieces in magazines is okay). Over the years, dissecting that rule has become a source of consternation for the MHRA, whose members judge the cars and present the award.

This year there were dozens of cars vying to be picked for the Great Eight (the final eight cars from which the winner is picked). One of the best things about the Ridler award is that it can go to any type of vehicle, from coupe to race car, from Packard to Porsche. Judges look for only three things: creativity, engineering, and workmanship. As vague as those three categories are, it's what you (minimally) need to win the award.

The Great Eight are finalized and then announced Friday morning (the Autorama is a three-day event), with the contenders having to wait until Sunday evening to find out how they faired. GM Performance Parts awards $7,500 and a new V-8 crate motor to the winner, but bragging rights (for the owner, but definitely for the builder) might be worth even more.

This year, the Great Eight cars came from Montana, California, Canada, Texas, Illinois, and Georgia to compete but, in the end, it was the '37 Willys coupe (with a '41 nose on it) from Illinois that won. Owned by Al Brockly and built at O'Connell Specialties in Lockport, Illinois, the all-steel Willys was a story that was 49 years in the making because that's how long Brockly has owned the car! Brockly was genuinely shocked when he won the award, as was the builder, Tim O'Connell, but both were very happy, as you might expect.

If you focused only on the Ridler award, though, you'd miss out on a whole lot of other stuff happening at the show. Besides a huge toy and literature show, dozens of vendors (including Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler) were on hand to showcase their latest wares. In fact, Chrysler even had some of its new vehicles (and one concept car) on display to take advantage of the possibility of some new car sales!

Celebrities have always been part of the Autorama extravaganza, and this year saw a slew of them taking pictures and signing autographs from behind their tables. The Coors Light beer twins (Diane and Elaine) were there, as was R. Lee Ermey (from TV's Mail Call), NASCAR champ Sterling Marlin, and WWE superstar The Undertaker (who had one of the longest autograph lines we've ever seen at any event!).

But most of the folks who filed into the 600,000-square-foot Cobo Hall were there to see the cars, and more than 600 of them were on display. Musclecars, lowriders, imports, hot rods, and customs all mixed together to help celebrate what the rest of us are always thinking about: cars. And as it's turned out, the Autorama is one of the best places in the country to do just that!