Golden Anniversary Special
July 15, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Good As Gold
Tech presentation is something anyone can do to his or her existing Camaro, since it takes no special skill, yet the results are worthwhile. Those are the rewards of personalizing a cool Chevy, and it’s what drives us in the first place to tackle such jobs.
FORD HANDLING GUIDE
Although modifying a car to handle well can often seem like a black art, virtually every aspect of handling comes down to three things: the weight of the vehicle, the traction generated by the tires, and the distribution of weight on each particular tire at a given moment.
Rad Revolution
Crafted with precision and expertise, this cutting-edge column is set to revolutionize your driving experience. Rad Rides engineers focused on maximizing space, ensuring comfort during entry and exit, and offering customizable steering wheel positioning. Compact yet powerful, the Tilt Steering Column boasts a total unit length of just 5 1/8 inches. With five different tilt positions and approximately 40 degrees of total tilt, you’ll find the perfect angle for your comfort and convenience.
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.
