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Autorama is back with hot rods, Zingers, Milan dragsters, Ridler wannabes
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 4, 2022
Detroit — The world’s most outrageous, chopped, channeled, dumped and decked hot rods are back.
Sidelined last year due to the pandemic, the 69th annual Meguiar’s Detroit Autorama returns to Huntington Place this weekend, Friday through Sunday. Headlining the 800 custom cars on display will be 30 competing for the prestigious Ridler Award as well as a 50th anniversary tribute to Chuck Miller’s Zingers creations and 20 race cars celebrating the reopening of Milan Raceway, Michigan’s only NHRA-sanctioned drag strip.
“It was heartbreaking to have to cancel the event last year,” said Autorama president Peter Toundas, whose Championship Auto Shows produces the event. “We are delighted to bring this Motor City tradition back. Detroit Autorama is the most revered hot rod custom car show in the country, and spotlights the important, historic role Detroit has played in the world of custom cars and hot rodding.”
With the relocation of the North American International Auto Show to September, Autorama is now the premier winter auto show in downtown Detroit. It roars back at a time when downtown is picking itself back up after pandemic restrictions. Autorama’s family-focused crowds may bring welcome appetites to struggling restaurants and retail stores around Campus Martius near the convention center.
The Ridler, sponsored by Meguiar’s, is the most coveted custom car award in the country. The bauble has been presented for 59 years to the most notable new custom car — shown for the first time anywhere. Competitors often spend millions to capture the prestigious $10,000 prize.
In 2020, the award went to a heavily modified black, 509-cubic inch V-8, 1963 Chevy two-door station wagon created by Minnesota’s Show Cars Automotive. Its slammed chassis was built in Washington state, its wheels crafted in California, and its interior screwed together in Alabama.
Marking the Ridler’s return will be its most prolific recipient, Chip Foose. Foose has won a record four Ridlers and turned his fame into a gig with the Motor Trend network’s “Overhaulin’” show. He will sign autographs from noon-6 p.m. Friday.
Another hot rod legend in the house will be Chuck Miller. Miller’s Fire Truck won the Ridler in 1968 and the New Boston resident went on to create such custom icons as the Red Baron, Bugs Buggy, and Sonic Cuda.
For the ’22 Autorama, Miller will be showing off his Zinger cars — grown-up version of the playful, 1/32-scale model toys sold by MPC in the 1970s. All six super-sized Zingers will be on display: VW Bug, Dune Buggy, Dragster, Dodge van, Corvette and semi-trailer.
“It’s the first time all six of them have been together in 35 years,” Miller said.
The models are essentially half-scale cars (1/5 scale in the case of the semi) stuffed with full-size, hot-rod engines. The result is, for example, the yellow VW Bug with a massive engine and headers sticking out of its roof. The engines were hollowed out for light-weighting so the hot rod caricatures were never driven (a human couldn’t fit in their half-scale cockpits anyway).
Miller also organizes the Cavalcade of Customs display at Autorama, featuring 10 of the wildest custom cars ever built. The favorite of all his children?
“I’m really proud of the Red Baron,” a smiling Miller said of his famed, “t-bucket” hot rod with its spiked German military helmet roof, side-mounted machine guns and swept exhaust. “It came about same as the Zingers. (Autorama founder) Bob Larivee came to me with (Revel’s) toy model and said: Can you build this for the 1969 Autorama? I said, sure, you don’t want to say no to Bob.”
Harold Bullock, who bought Milan Dragway with partner Perry Merlo after its bankruptcy last year, also will be on hand this weekend, keen to spread the word among the Autorama faithful.
“We have a big display of 20 race cars including motorcycles — we even have a dragster snowmobile,” Bullock said.
Racers from the TV show “Street Outlaws” will be there. Johnny “Quick” Kramer is bringing his orange Mustang and Brian “Chucky” Davis will feature his ferocious ’69 Camaro. In addition to fire-breathing V-8s, Milan expects more electric vehicles as Tesla has sparked interest with its 0-60 mph ability.
“EVs are coming. The Tesla Plaid will definitely catch people off guard because it’s just as fast as a Dodge Demon,” said Bullock. “Part of our plan is we’re going to have some EV races out there, too.”
As for the raceway’s opening this year, he said: “We hope to be going by May at Milan. We’re paving about half the racetrack and will have a smooth, hard surface for everyone to come back and make some record times.”
Autorama has often opened with a demonstration drag race down Jefferson Avenue. Not this year, though Bullock would have loved the opportunity. “I bet all 20 of (our guys) would volunteer for that,” he exclaimed.
There will be more celebrity cars and stars all weekend. This year’s Preservation Award Recipient is the 1984 Ridler winner: the Khrome Shop Special ’34 Ford Coupe. Ford fans will also enjoy the 90th Anniversary of the ’32 Ford Tribute Exhibit, featuring 12 significant models.
On Saturday, WWE Hall of Famer Sting and “Toymakerz” star David Ankin will sign autographs. Danny Koker and Kevin Mack from Counts Kustoms will be on hand for autographs Sunday.
But wait, there’s more. Lurking in the basement will be Autorama Extreme, displaying more than 200 traditional rods, customs and bikes inspired by the 1950s. A show within a show, it will include Rockabilly Bands plus the Miss Autorama Retro Pin Up Girl Contest Saturday.
Autorama schedule
For more information, go to www.autorama.com or call (248) 373-1700.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.