Detroit, Michigan – From Barry Gordy to Gordie Howe, Detroit already has a lot going for it—but when the annual Autorama comes to town, the focus is squarely on the Motor City’s automotive legacy.
“Since its debut at the 1964 Detroit Autorama, the Ridler is one of the country’s most prestigious automotive awards that concerns custom and hot rod car owners and builders. Given annually to an exceptional vehicle that falls under strict ‘never been shown before’ guidelines, the folks who win this prize become members of a very elite group.”
This year, the honor went to “Gray Madder”, a 1955 Chevy Nomad built by Southern Comfort Customs.
“Gray Madder” – 1955 Chevy Nomad
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2025 Great 8 Ridler Award Finalists
The classic Chevy longroof rose to the top against some very healthy competition from the other “Great 8” Ridler Award finalists. See for yourself.
“Serio” – 1963 Chevy Corvette
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1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
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“Nightmare” – 1949 Pontiac Chieftain
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“’37 502 SS” – 1937 Chevy Pickup Truck
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1933 Ford Pickup Truck
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1963 Chevrolet Corvette
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1957 Chevy Bel Air 2-Seat Roadster
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2025 Detroit Autorama Photo Gallery
Outside of the prestigious Ridler Award, the event halls were crammed with seemingly every flavor of muscle car, hot rod, and classic cruiser. Heck, even the two-wheel crowd was out in force with a jaw-dropping mix of vintage motorcycles.
So dive into this photo gallery below, and check the ISCA Summit Racing Show Car Series calendar to see if one of these top-tier car shows is coming near your neck of the woods this year.
Obligatory. (Image/OnAllCylinders)The Monza landed on our TripTik as one of the stops on our automotive world tour. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Learn more about the rare Cougar Eliminator here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Speaking of rare ‘Mercs, this is a 1964 Marauder. (Image/OnAllCylinders)And STILL speaking of rare ‘Mercs, this is a 1983 Capri RS. (Image/OnAllCylinders)This classic AMF-era H-D was nestled between an assortment of delightful British scramblers. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Sadly, not a single snowman could be found. (Image/OnAllCylinders)We will NEVER NOT photograph an Auburn Boattail Speedster. (Image/OnAllCylinders)We had to double check for a positive ID—this is indeed a 1982 Toyota Tercel. We love it. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Evel Knievel’s SkyCycle from the ill-fated Snake River Jump was at the show too—most of it, anyway. (Image/OnAllCylinders)A rare car named after a fish: the AMC Marlin. (Image/OnAllCylinders)You may appreciate our short history of the Mazda Miata here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)And oft-overlooked classic: the 1977 Dodge Charger SE. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Hey, we recognize this car! (Image/OnAllCylinders)This 1949 Pontiac Road Chief is a former show car itself, and this year it took home the Detroit Autorama Preservation Award. (Image/OnAllCylinders)If you’re into Fieros, you’ll love this story. (Image/OnAllCylinders)…And if you dig under-the-radar 1980s gems, check out this 1986 Escort GT. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Professional driver Aaron Quine set up camp with his Camaro in the Summit Racing booth. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Yup, look closely and you’ll see a 360 tucked in there. (Image/OnAllCylinders)We’re big fans of the Mustang II, if you couldn’t tell. (Image/OnAllCylinders)And this J20 might just be our second-favorite Gladiator. (Image/OnAllCylinders)CTS-Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Image/OnAllCylinders)And we’ll leave you with this. Until next time, Motown… (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.
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