Hot Rods in Motown: Highlights from the 72nd Detroit Autorama
In its drive to fund the state’s first official, sanctioned dragstrip, the Michigan Hot Rod Association (MHRA) hosted its first show in 1953. The Detroit Autorama was born and the event quickly mushroomed over the next few years into one of the country’s largest.
More than seven decades later, it also remains one of the longest-running events in hot rodding — and one of the most prestigious, thanks to the Don Ridler Memorial Award. All-new builds that haven’t been shown before vie for the trophy, with the candidates narrowed down to a select few known as the Great 8.
For the 2025 event, the contenders included stunning custom expressions of a 1970 Monte Carlo, a 1949 Pontiac, a 1933 Ford pickup, a 1937 Chevy pickup, two 1963 Corvettes, a 1955 Nomad and a 1957 Chevy convertible. All appeared deserving of the Ridler Award, but it was Tom and Christy Bresnahan’s 1955 Chevy Nomad, called “Gray Madder,” that took home Ridler.
The rest of the show field included hundreds vehicles of all stripes and genres of the automotive world. Not all had mile-deep paint jobs and acres of chrome, either. In what has become a very popular companion to the event, the Autorama Extreme display in the “basement” of downtown Detroit’s Huntington Place convention, where there was more primer than polish. It pulsed with its own vibe, centered primarily on traditionally inspired hot rods and other homemade creations that defy categorization — along with live music, artists and more.
The 2025 Detroit Autorama was the show’s 72nd running and while we can’t show all of the more than 800 cars, trucks and other custom creations, we’ve got a great gallery here of the highlights, including all the Great 8 vehicles and the Ridler-winning Nomad.
Constructed by Detroit Metal Shaping, Danny Shaffer’s one-of-a-kind 1933 Ford roadster pickup is a Great 8 vehicle, blending vintage style and modern cues. Under the hood is a Roush-built 511-cu.in. FE big-block with EFI.
Another Great 8 vehicle, Dan Patrone’s radical 1963 Corvette coupe was built by Pro Comp Custom, who built the 2022 Ridler winner . This car has a custom chassis under the body and it’s powered by a 434-cu.in. small-block with overhead-cam cylinder heads.
David Bradwell made the trek to Detroit all the way from Tappen, British Columbia, to make his play for the Ridler Award with his custom 1957 Chevy convertible, which has a close-out panel behind the front seats that has turned the car into a true roadster.
Danny Asher’s Great 8 competitor is a radically reshaped 1949 Pontiac that has had its roof chopped 6 inches, along with countless other body modifications. It’s powered by a GM LSA supercharged 6.2-liter engine that’s backed by a six-speed automatic transmission.
Tom and Christy Bresnahan’s Ridler-winning 1955 Chevy Nomad is comparatively subtle in style, but packs plenty of attention to detail. The body is nestled on an Art Morrison chassis that incorporates hydraulic front and rear suspensions, while the powertrain includes an LS3 6.2-liter V8 and a 6L90E automatic transmission.
Inspired by the first-generation Monte Carlo race car driven by Bobby Allison in NASCAR, many of the design cues of John Ayers’ LS-powered and Great 8-competing 1970 Monte Carlo pay homage to that racing legacy. And rather than a production-style vinyl roof, this one is covered with carbon fiber.
Chevy never built an extended-cab pickup in 1937, so John and Alex Farrow did just that. The stretched body sits on a custom chassis and the fenders are hand-made. Trucks thrive on torque and this Great 8 competitor has a 502-cu.in. big block under the hood.
The final Great 8 vehicle is Dave and Rhonda Ralph’s 1963 Corvette — a classic split-window coupe with loads of modern updates, including the 6.6-liter L8T engine that is found in modern heavy-duty GM trucks. The wheels are larger, contemporary interpretations of the original knock-offs. Nice detail.
It wasn’t a Ridler contender, but Knud Tiroch deserved some sort of award for bringing his customized 1951 Mercury all the way from Austria. It has a million custom touches, but more notably is the paintwork, which incorporates silver. Not silver paint, mind you — real sterling silver. Wow.
Dealer Szott Auto Group wanted to draw attention to the new Dodge Charger EV and turned to designer Murray Pfaff for help. He gave the car a retro makeover, with a clever wrap inspired by the Mod Top option of the late-Sixties.
One of the stars of the “basement” display was Bill Dinges’s custom, never-from-the-factory 1934 Lincoln pickup dubbed “Instigator.” A custom chassis helps get the body on the pavement and power comes from a supercharged 292 Y-block Ford engine.
Erik Fleishner’s 1965 Pontiac Safari wagon was originally ordered with a 421 Tri-Power engine, four-speed transmission, heavy-duty suspension and eight-lug wheels. It’s a true, factory-built muscle wagon and was restored by Scott Tiemann’s shop Supercar Specialties.
