Detroit Autorama 2024 - March 1-3, 2024

[Frosty]

The 71st annual Detroit Autorama is this coming weekend at Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall). This show is home to the famous Ridler Award, the oldest trophy in hot rodding.

https://autorama.com/attend/detroit/

[JUSTA6]

Will always be known as COBO Hall.  Same as Pine Knob!!!!

[Frosty]

Well at least Pine Knob is back to being Pine Knob. That's progress - I think.

[indymanjoe]

i'll have to take a pass i really want this car back on the road 

[Frosty]

I understand priorities.

[Frosty]

I just found out about this car will also debut at this year's Detroit Autorama.

My only question for these guys, is this - was this particular '55 Chevy built in Flint Michigan? Because that is where the original 50 Millionth car was built. Otherwise it is a stunner. I look forward to seeing it.

 

Here is video about the original

 

Edited February 29 by Frosty

[KiwiStarChief]

I just read an article on this car in either Hemmings or Old Car Weekly (I think), and it is a recreation of the original 50m '1955 Chevy. The story was that the original was lost many years ago, and this person traced it to a bunch of rusty pieces in a field, which couldn't ne restored.

The recreation was built using a new '55 body from Real Deal Steel (again I think; failing memory) and faithfully recreated from what records could be found. All the metal fittings, pipes, lines etc. were gold plated at a cost of US$100,000, so it is a big bucket recreation, for sure.

[64 kiwi boni]

Wow ! JustA wow ! 
I have never seen that video !

Thank you frosty 

9 hours ago, KiwiStarChief said:

I just read an article on this car in either Hemmings or Old Car Weekly (I think), and it is a recreation of the original 50m '1955 Chevy. The story was that the original was lost many years ago, and this person traced it to a bunch of rusty pieces in a field, which couldn't ne restored.

The recreation was built using a new '55 body from Real Deal Steel (again I think; failing memory) and faithfully recreated from what records could be found. All the metal fittings, pipes, lines etc. were gold plated at a cost of US$100,000, so it is a big bucket recreation, for sure.

How the hell could gm lose the 50th million car ? 
tri fives are there most iconic models ever built 

[Frosty]

Kiwi - that question is lost in the annuls of time, I'm afraid. The original was built in my home town of Flint Michigan. Many of the buildings shown in the old video I recognize even though some no longer exist. Our Sloan Museum has a display on the 50 Millionth car and celebration - which spanned all of GM - not just the Flint area BTW. Still no mention of what happened to the car after the celebration.

Flint was chosen for the 50 Millionth car because Flint was the birthplace of GM. GM has spread the various subsequent millionth milestone cars around to various car divisions over the years since.

[KiwiStarChief]

Found an article on the car here.....https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/epic-revival-gms-50-millionth-car-rides-again/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MED_UN_NA_EML_UN_UN_WeekendRoadTrip&hashed_email=9e2ca2aab72298ce888971b0d076474548c8f5f6584e5d3279fbf346e1c3ad73&dtm_em=9e2ca2aab72298ce888971b0d076474548c8f5f6584e5d3279fbf346e1c3ad73

[JUSTA6]

Been watching the local news coverage for Frosty @ Autorama. They really like the Batman display with all the Batmobiles. No sign of the big melting snowman, dripping/drooling all over the display cars.

[Ringo64]

1 hour ago, JUSTA6 said:

They really like the Batman display with all the Batmobiles.

[Frosty]

23 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Been watching the local news coverage for Frosty @ Autorama. They really like the Batman display with all the Batmobiles. No sign of the big melting snowman, dripping/drooling all over the display cars.

The Batman display was great. Batgirl was better. Need I say more? Now you know where I was.

[64 kiwi boni]

3 hours ago, Frosty said:

The Batman display was great. Batgirl was better. Need I say more? Now you know where I was.

awww did any one mention we love pictures around here 

[Frosty]

3 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

awww did any one mention we love pictures around here 

See? What Batmobiles? 

Edited March 3 by Frosty

[64 kiwi boni]

aww plumb crazy too !!!

[Frosty]

Okay - I took so many pictures, I'm doing this in sections, starting with the Great 8/Ridler contenders.

This last custom built '53 Corvette is from Kindigit Design (a.k.a Dave Kindig) of "Bitchin' Rides" fame. Dave and Kev Dogg were there. So I suspect we will see the build of this car in a future episode(s) of the show. I did get to chat with both of them.  In fact while I was talking to Dave, Kev called him (it comes up Kev Dogg on Dave's cell = LOL!), Kev was 10 feet behind him!

[Frosty]

Na na na na na na na na na Batman!

Want your own Batphone?

Ah Batgirl!

'66 Batman = while this is not the original Barris created car from the Lincoln Futura concept car, this is a faith recreation.

1989 Batman

1992 Batman Returns

 

2005 Batman Begins

 

2017 Justice League

Bat Cycles from 1966. Notice how the side car is also it's own go-kart?

[Frosty]

Evel Knievel - probably the biggest, most famous stunt man in history.

 

Let's start with his drag car.

 

A kids trike

 

Motor cycle and suit worn by Evel's son, who followed in his dad's footsteps, Captain Robbie Knievel.

The Sky Cycle - a jet powered trike.

 

 

Evel's most famous stunt and his biggest failure. His jet powered jump attempt over the Snake River Canyon, near Twin Falls Idaho. His parachute deployed right after launch and prevented him from successfully crossing the river. It was probably the biggest TV event of the 1970s.

[Frosty]

Lead sleds

This Oldsmoble's paint job was at least inspire by Gene Winfield. Not sure if Gene did this car or not, but it was clearly because of Gene.

 

Low Riders

[Frosty]

Station Wagons

There was a surprising number of station wagons this year, especially in the Rat Rod/Extreme display area in the basement.

This Ventura wagon is fresh off of Sick Week, a week-long drag and drive in Florida. It is similar to Hot Rod's Drag Week format but it is all within the state of Florida in February. Tom Bailey, from Orion Michigan, is the organizer and owner of Sick Magazine, the primary sponsor of Sick Week.

'57 Nomad

A 454-powered Chevell SS wagon. Nice.

Olds Vista Cruiser

A Pontiac Star Chief wagon! Sweet!

Edited March 3 by Frosty

[Frosty]

The 50 Millionth GM Tribute Car

Well the mystery surround the gold 50 millionth car seems to be over. From what the display says, there were 3 gold cars but only car #1 was treats to all the gold treatment in and out. The other 2 cars had gold exteriors but there are visible differences wtih these 2 cars over the first car.

As you can see, the original gold car was destroyed in a fire in 1996.

This is the original door to car #1 after the fire. Some of the other parts from the original car is behind it.

 

Original news paper and GM memorabilia from the 50M car. This was a GM wide celebration at the time, so virtually every GM division did something to celebrate. There were several plant open houses, parades, etc.  The biggest celebration was in Flint, Michigan, which was home to several GM divisions at the time, as well as the Chevy assembly plant that built the cars.

This is from the Flint Journal, our local newspaper at the time. Hamady Brothers was a local grocery store chain. It went out of business in 1991.

The parade route through Flint plus all the GM locations in the Flint area.

Citizens Bank was the last Michigan owned/operated bank in the state of Michigan. It was taken over by First Merit in 2006 but after the financial crisis of 2008-2009, First Merit was purchased by Huntington Banks.

 

Edited March 3 by Frosty

[JUSTA6]

Thankz for saving me the walk!  Great pic's/stories as always.

[Frosty]

I still got more to post, My knee was screaming at me after 4 continuous hours on my feet. My leg and back ached the rest of the day. It was totally worth it!

[64 kiwi boni]

That’s just weird !

the original got burnt in a garage fire and the owner chopped up the remains ? Weird