Detroit Autorama 2009

Faded relics of a by gone era are scattered across the show floor, no this in not a salvage yard, but the creations of some of metro Detroit’s most talented hot rodders. From Detroit Free Press mailbox air intakes to Flat Head V8s, hot rod creators show off their rusted bodies and raw welds or their pristine perfected Riddler Award competitors.

The basement of Cobo Hall in Detroit Michigan is where you find the pure raw rods. Some refer to them as Rat Rods, while the ones that know call them Traditional Rods. To the untrained eye they appear to be incomplete projects that are unpainted, rusted or even lacking floorboards. To the lovers of cars, they are beautiful works of art intricately pieced together with different body panels, grilles from a completely different era and power ranging from in-line 6 to Cadillac monsters. To me, the Traditional Rods and the culture surrounding them, bring me back to the time of real auto culture. Back to the days where a Hot Rodder cobbles together the pieces from their neighbors yard and hits the pavement, or salt flats, hard and fast.

Upstairs is a different event. For the most part the tattoos and slick hair have faded to the corporate vending booths and hundreds of thousands of dollars in polished chrome. You can still find some tats at the pin stripers Panel Jam where artists stripe up works of art to be auctioned throughout the weekend. Wandering up and down the aisles is were the bright and shiny Hot Rods and Muscle cars are perched trying to show off their good side. The steel upstairs is quite different where the builders have spent uncountable hours and loads of dough on trailer queen show cars. I snuck in a pic of someone every car guy should know. Do you know who he is?

Author:Photographer Mike LaJoice