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August 12, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Hot Rods, Customs, and Muscle Cars of Detroit Autorama 2026
Every winter, the custom car world storms into the Motor City for one of the most legendary indoor shows in hot rodding history—Detroit Autorama. Inside the sprawling halls of Huntington Place, the temperature might still read winter outside, but on the show floor the atmosphere is pure horsepower, chrome, and adrenaline. Thousands of enthusiasts flood the aisles to see the machines that define the cutting edge of hot rods and muscle cars craftsmanship.
BLOWN AWAY
In 1994, Denny and Dawn Johns picked up a ’55 Chevy two-door sedan. Along with Dale Johns, the couple runs Van Buren, Arkansas’ D&D Specialty Cars (479/414-2654), so it was no huge deal to think they would quickly rebuild the ’55 into something very special; after all, they had sold the car and its rebuild to Ed Johns, Denny’s father.
But about a year later, a major tornado tore through Van Buren, and along with most everything else, it left the ’55 demolished from bumper to bumper. Since the car wasn’t the only thing destroyed in the tornado’s path, it took a back seat as the Johns family rebuilt their homes and their business. Then in 2003, Ed sold the ’55 back to Denny and Dawn, and the couple decided to rebuild the car for themselves. Apparently the original plan was to build a nice driver, but once under way, Denny says, “We couldn’t find a good stopping point.” So they didn’t—stop, that is—until three years later.
ALL THE WAY
Alloway has built a lengthy succession of exciting cars, each with its own style, and all with a level of detailing that is a trademark of Alloway’s creations. This kind of finish work has earned him the coveted Ridler Award, along with every honor and title that one could garner from this hobby.
Spotlighter
2025 Detroit Autorama: A Gearhead’s Dreamland
A Celebration of Automotive Passion
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photography by Julie & John Aschenberg
Walking into the Madness
Step through the doors, and bam—you’re hit with row after row of mind-blowing builds. Right off the bat, Barbie’s pink Cadillac Convertible was stealing the show, proving that even a toy-inspired cruiser can have serious presence. Then there was the Mega Morph Giant Transforming Robot Car—because why not? Nothing says Autorama like a car that can shape-shift.
The 2025 Ridler Award Winner and the Great 8
The 2025 Ridler Award went to a beast of a build—Gray Madder, a killer 1955 Chevy Nomad that took things to a whole new level. Built by Southern Comfort Customs, this thing is pure automotive perfection, with flawless bodywork, a rowdy LS3 engine, and custom details that had the crowd losing their minds. But don’t get it twisted—the rest of the Great 8 weren’t exactly slouches. We’re talking about high-end restorations and wild, out-of-this-world customs that brought serious heat, proving once again that if you want to make it in this game, you better bring everything you’ve got.
History, Horsepower, and Pure Creativity
One of the coolest things about Autorama is the mix of styles, and this year was no different. A 1941 Buick Special, complete with a bullet hole from Pearl Harbor—yeah, you read that right—brought some serious history to the show floor. Then there was the 1951 Mercury done up like a NASCAR stocker, making the trek all the way from Austria just to drop jaws.
Why Autorama is Pure Magic
Detroit Autorama isn’t just another car show—it’s a full-blown tribute to the obsession, creativity, and hardcore wrenching that makes car culture what it is. Whether you’re into pristine classics, wild customs, or off-the-wall builds that make zero sense but totally work, this show had it all. And as the doors closed on another epic year, one thing was clear: 2025 was a banger, and we’re already counting the days ‘til next year.
