I would like to take the opportunity, to thank you very much for your time and effort, putting this on youtube . Here in the UK we would otherwise never be able to see such amazing cars and expressions of such talent. Thank you again, most appreciated .
Thank you! I had a great time attending the Detroit Autorama. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. I have some great automotive videos of vehicles that are rarely seen and will continue uploading more!
Being 53 and from and still in Detroit and being part of this show one way or another for my whole life I am surprised a classic canted B pillar Merc won the Ridler! The car is insane detail wise as were all the contenders. It just seems special to me to see a chopped Merc win in 2023, while my rusty original daily driver '50 ford sits in my driveway as I write this...guess you might say I'm a little biased. Thank GOD I would never be asked to judge this competition. The level of skill in regards to detail is beyond comprehension to us dirty regular people.
I was also surprised in a good way. Love to see classic designs being reinterpreted in the modern era and still winning awards! Their booth was leather wrapped, which I think helped put their overall presentation over the top. Time to get to work on your ‘50 Ford!
Agreed! I’ve been to the Grand National Roadster Show 4 times, but this was my first time at the Detroit Autorama. I’m glad you enjoyed the video! More great videos to follow and here are the finalists from GNRS ‘23: th-cam.com/video/fD9OsFp9LxI/w-d-xo.html
@@RobertLewisHUB I only did one car that was a 100 point car. You can't believe the effort. It was a Hispano / Suisa. Very rare care. If you check the car show at Pebble Beach you'll see it. Two tone green. It took a shop of 20 people 5 years to build that car.
@@RobertLewisHUB And I'm not surprised about a decade to do that car. If you knew about all the perfection. Every little detail is a big deal. Unless you've been there and done that? You have no idea. Every time you THINK it's good? Lmao. Then do it a couple more times. I did two cowl screens on a mid 60s Corvette. Took me three months before they were perfect. Just saying. Thanks for your comment and I hope I opened your eyes to how difficult it is to win the Don Riddler award.
@@jamesweaver1738 I have the utmost respect for anyone building cars and other tradesman. I’m not skilled like that, but appreciate their craftsmanship to the fullest.
@@RobertLewisHUB I was working in a restoration shop in the 80s. We built a 100 point car going to Pebble Beach. Actually that car won. But I wouldn't ever want to build another 100 point car. You can't imagine the details. Think about aligning all the bolt heads and slots in the screws .
The comments on Facebook's merc groups about the merc that won were right! The front of that car is just ?? And also the curl bar for a grill, wow! All that money to build that, I guess the judges liked it! Congrats to the owner!......
Not everyone liked the design, but the fabrication work and finished product product spoke for itself. Their booth was also the best - matching leather wrapped, which I’ve never seen before.
The Chevy truck has the dash nailed (IMHO). “CLEAN” seems to have become AUSTERE. Clean crisp lines of chrome/stainless tastefully filling empty expanses, drawing your eye towards the gauges and controls. Obviously, all well done and beyond. But I love that truck.
Agreed! It’s a really well done truck build. Nice art deco details, clean lines, and a beautiful engine. All of the Great 8 Finalists were unique, but Maximus was over the top, including its matching leather wrapped booth!
Especially Maximus’ display. I’ve never seen a full matching leather wrapped display before. Presentation is key and one of the many reasons they took home the Ridler Award this year.
The Mustang is nice but would’ve been better in other colors. I get the Ferrari style paint job, but I don’t care for white hot rods. The Nova and Silver Chevy pickup are clean but not great 8 material. The best thing about the first Chevy truck, is it a 59 Cameo, is that it’s not an LS. Love the King Cobra, not necessarily this build but just that it’s here and done. Super Bee is ok and that kind of leaves the Merc by default. It looks well done and definitely cool but all the lighting around it makes it hard to see what’s what. That grill looks like my old curling bar from my weight lifting days. I’m not a big brown fan other than maybe on a big Lincoln or Caddy. When I think of the Great 8 it seems like the Merc or King Cobra should be a minimum, not the most worked up cars. Still, there’s a ton of work in all of them and I’m sure the owners love them and that’s who they’re built for after all.
Great points. The judges seem to favor over the top builds and Maximus had the most impressive display. I loved to see someone spending 6/7 figures on a $10k King Cobra that no one wanted and is finally starting to get some respect. The Nova and Silver Chevy truck were extremely clean, which means they spent thousands of hours getting them perfect. I loved the trunk on the Bel Air convertible and the Super Bee and Cameo were nicely done. The Mustang would look much better with a nice green or blue paint job, but they were trying to stand out and contrast with the carbon fiber. Overall, impressive builds and not an easy job for the judges.
MAACO paint jobs have come a long way! Gorgeous build and nice to see lead sleds still winning awards over 70 years later. I loved the Nova and spoke with one of the builders. It was called “Rome” because it wasn’t built in 1 day…more like 16 years 🤯
Best King Cobra I’ve ever seen. I loved the ‘55 Chevy Convertible, but even Maximus’ booth was the best - fully wrapped in matching tan hides. The Ridler judges have been favoring over the top builds. The Charger with the red headlights and cool taillights was incredible, even though it wasn’t up for the Ridler Award.
@@RobertLewisHUB - The Charger was cool but they should have changed the intake on the engine. That factory intake just looked totally out of place on a build of that level.
@@danmyers9372 are you talking about the Super Bee (last car)? They could have gone more over the top and that’s what the judges seem to look for these days.
Most of the finalists are 7 figure, multi year and even decade+ long builds. The judges have been selecting more over the top builds in the last couple of years, so I’m not surprised Maximus won. Cars were meant to be driven, but these are now garage art.
Nova was extremely clean. Nice to see lead sleds still being appreciated. Their booth was the nicest with matching leather wrapped rails, which set them apart from the competition.
It's funny that when I was a kid, white dudes would criticize lowriders. Now, muscle cars, show cars are all lowered and set up with chrome and candy paints..airbags too.
Times and preferences have definitely changed. Gassers look ridiculous with their lifted fronts, but they were a period type build. Have you watched my video on the LA Lowrider Super Show: th-cam.com/video/i9ZEe9H6WwA/w-d-xo.html and Hopping Competiton: th-cam.com/video/LZBWdn8rhBY/w-d-xo.html
Yeah. I'm the same way. I had a chopped top mustang. I drove it to the shows. It blew people away that I did that. Like you said. If you can't drive it. It ain't worth having
@@RobertLewisHUB Unfortunately I lost my photos in a fire. I built my mustang in late 1975. 4 inch chopped top. Custom grill work that would remind you of a 1970 challenger but with 76 Grand Prix headlights. It was painted pearl orange. The old Marano pearl. I won many trophies back then
Hey I know, let's spend million dollars on a car that can never be driven or doesn't even start... I think spending a million dollars on a car, that you can't even enjoy seems completely sensible!!,, What next, pay athletes a couple million dollars
To even be considered these cars have to run and drive by the judges booth. So you may think it's pointless but after winning the award most become regular driving show cars
It might be funny as a prank , to set up a filthy dented pick up with torn up interior and present it with a totally serious info placard with fake awards.
Taking junk and making them highly polished turds- never seen the point. Here I am showing my ten year old what exactly you don't do to classic steel. Cars are meant to be enjoyed, driven and Have fun with. These cars are just as fake as their owners.
1. '65 Mustang: Ugly...black and white?...Idiotic look...wheels are junk...just a pile, in general 2. '55 Chevy: Ugly...an abortion...what a waste of money. 3. Silver '67 Nova: decent...for a restomod...not too over the top 4. Root Beer Lead Sled '50 Merc: modern headlights look stupid...wheels are not "right"...exhaust holes in rear quarters...stupid. 5. '58 Chevy Truck...front spoiler...stupid...Wheels, lousy choice 6. '78 Mustang: front end looks stupid...but the car looks cool...for a restomod. 7.Silver '53 Chevy looks nice...not too overdone 8. '69 Super Bee...Ground effects look idiotic...monochromatic paint: stupid
The judges have been favoring over the top builds recently, so I’m not surprised they chose the Merc. Their display booth was completely wrapped in matching tan leather, which I’ve never seen before. When all things are equal, it comes down to presentation. Amazing how these are all high 6 and 7 figure builds and each are individual.
@@RobertLewisHUB Well...I, for one...am not impressed with any of them...ESPECIALLY when you consider the cost...car building has become a bit of a joke...no wonder more folks are going back to building traditional Rods, Patina cars, and Day 2 Muscle Cars...The old days WERE better
@@SesameStreetRacingChannel I agree that the prices of cars and the costs associated with restoring and keeping them on the road have gotten ridiculous. I prefer a clean build as well along the lines of Chip Foose and Dave Kindig's builds. The Ridler Award seems to be designed for builders to make a name for themselves by building over the top vehicles. That's obviously only 0.0001% of the car collector hobby. The majority of the hot rods and customs at the Detroit Autorama were cleaner and well done with smaller budgets (or home built). I love to see the passion and hard work that goes into these builds. I recorded a couple of hours of footage and here is one of the 3 other videos I've posted: th-cam.com/video/2ylV_bhNh3s/w-d-xo.html
@@winstonmccollum8992 I don’t think the white paint did it any favors. I think if they repainted it in a darker blue or green shade, it would look great.
![[안방1열 풀캠4K] 베이비몬스터 'DRIP' (BABYMONSTER FullCam)│@SBS Inkigayo 241110](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AQ4RIghEvUs/mqdefault.jpg)
I would like to take the opportunity, to thank you very much for your time and effort, putting this on youtube . Here in the UK we would otherwise
never be able to see such amazing cars and expressions of such talent. Thank you again, most appreciated .
Thank you! I had a great time attending the Detroit Autorama. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. I have some great automotive videos of vehicles that are rarely seen and will continue uploading more!
Couldn't make it this .. highly appreciate your time . 🙏
Hope you can make it next year! It was an incredible show. I posted 3 videos and have a 4th on the way so please Subscribe if you haven’t already 🙏🏼
Custom cars are amazing works of art that only car enthusiasts can truly appreciate. These guys are Masters of their art form. Well done
They truly are master craftsmen and incredible vehicle building artists.
Enjoyed!
Awesome! Thanks Tommy!
I love you and miss your beautiful family and friends and I love you. ❤️ ❤😂🎉😢😮😅😊
Being 53 and from and still in Detroit and being part of this show one way or another for my whole life I am surprised a classic canted B pillar Merc won the Ridler! The car is insane detail wise as were all the contenders. It just seems special to me to see a chopped Merc win in 2023, while my rusty original daily driver '50 ford sits in my driveway as I write this...guess you might say I'm a little biased. Thank GOD I would never be asked to judge this competition. The level of skill in regards to detail is beyond comprehension to us dirty regular people.
I was also surprised in a good way. Love to see classic designs being reinterpreted in the modern era and still winning awards! Their booth was leather wrapped, which I think helped put their overall presentation over the top. Time to get to work on your ‘50 Ford!
I was lucky to go to this show a few years back. Its the mecca of shows if you ask me. Everyone should go. Great video.
Agreed! I’ve been to the Grand National Roadster Show 4 times, but this was my first time at the Detroit Autorama. I’m glad you enjoyed the video! More great videos to follow and here are the finalists from GNRS ‘23:
th-cam.com/video/fD9OsFp9LxI/w-d-xo.html
The customized 1950 Mercury Maximus was super.
Everything about it including the leather wrapped display was top notch 💯
Awesome Cars , Thanks RL😊
You got it, man! Glad you liked the video 😎🚙. More great videos to follow
I was a builder of show cars back in the day. It takes a good team , alot of money and 5 years to build these cars
Amazing. The Nova took over 1 decade 🤯
@@RobertLewisHUB I only did one car that was a 100 point car. You can't believe the effort. It was a Hispano / Suisa. Very rare care. If you check the car show at Pebble Beach you'll see it. Two tone green. It took a shop of 20 people 5 years to build that car.
@@RobertLewisHUB And I'm not surprised about a decade to do that car. If you knew about all the perfection. Every little detail is a big deal. Unless you've been there and done that? You have no idea. Every time you THINK it's good? Lmao. Then do it a couple more times. I did two cowl screens on a mid 60s Corvette. Took me three months before they were perfect. Just saying. Thanks for your comment and I hope I opened your eyes to how difficult it is to win the Don Riddler award.
@@jamesweaver1738 I have the utmost respect for anyone building cars and other tradesman. I’m not skilled like that, but appreciate their craftsmanship to the fullest.
@@RobertLewisHUB I was working in a restoration shop in the 80s. We built a 100 point car going to Pebble Beach. Actually that car won. But I wouldn't ever want to build another 100 point car. You can't imagine the details. Think about aligning all the bolt heads and slots in the screws .
Great show and video! I’ll be there next year. Check out Salt Lake City AutoRama 2023
Awesome! Wish I could have flown to SLC for the Autorama. One day I’ll be able to attend them all 😎🚙🚗
Fabulous.
They’re all incredible and unique 🚙🚗
The comments on Facebook's merc groups about the merc that won were right! The front of that car is just ?? And also the curl bar for a grill, wow! All that money to build that, I guess the judges liked it! Congrats to the owner!......
Not everyone liked the design, but the fabrication work and finished product product spoke for itself. Their booth was also the best - matching leather wrapped, which I’ve never seen before.
That blue 55 Chevy sure was impressive.
If Maximus didn’t win, I thought this blue ‘55 or the ‘67 Nova would win the Ridler Award. The trunk of the ‘55 Chevy was insane!
Very pretty trailer queens
Multi-million dollar builds 💸🚙
Enjoyed!!!!!
I’ve had a blast at the Detroit Autorama and had a great time making this video. More Autorama videos to follow!
@@RobertLewisHUB 👍👍
@@THROTTLEPOWER Make sure to Subscribe so you get the notification 😎
How’s the depth of the colours on these things. Just amazing
The paint jobs on these cars are flawless. 6 figure paint jobs to make sure there aren’t any imperfections and the paint is like glass.
The Chevy truck has the dash nailed (IMHO). “CLEAN” seems to have become AUSTERE. Clean crisp lines of chrome/stainless tastefully filling empty expanses, drawing your eye towards the gauges and controls. Obviously, all well done and beyond. But I love that truck.
Agreed! It’s a really well done truck build. Nice art deco details, clean lines, and a beautiful engine. All of the Great 8 Finalists were unique, but Maximus was over the top, including its matching leather wrapped booth!
The displays used for some of these probably cost more than most peoples cars!
Especially Maximus’ display. I’ve never seen a full matching leather wrapped display before. Presentation is key and one of the many reasons they took home the Ridler Award this year.
Are you going to Salt Lake City Autorama 2024 on April?
I’d love to. It’s a trek for me. How about you?
@@RobertLewisHUB I’ll be there
@@tommylang4k is it worth the flight?
@@RobertLewisHUB I had over than 2.7 million views for this show!
@@RobertLewisHUB I had over than 2.7 million views for this show
😍😍😍😍😍😍
😎🚙
The Mustang is nice but would’ve been better in other colors. I get the Ferrari style paint job, but I don’t care for white hot rods. The Nova and Silver Chevy pickup are clean but not great 8 material. The best thing about the first Chevy truck, is it a 59 Cameo, is that it’s not an LS. Love the King Cobra, not necessarily this build but just that it’s here and done. Super Bee is ok and that kind of leaves the Merc by default. It looks well done and definitely cool but all the lighting around it makes it hard to see what’s what. That grill looks like my old curling bar from my weight lifting days. I’m not a big brown fan other than maybe on a big Lincoln or Caddy. When I think of the Great 8 it seems like the Merc or King Cobra should be a minimum, not the most worked up cars. Still, there’s a ton of work in all of them and I’m sure the owners love them and that’s who they’re built for after all.
Great points. The judges seem to favor over the top builds and Maximus had the most impressive display. I loved to see someone spending 6/7 figures on a $10k King Cobra that no one wanted and is finally starting to get some respect. The Nova and Silver Chevy truck were extremely clean, which means they spent thousands of hours getting them perfect. I loved the trunk on the Bel Air convertible and the Super Bee and Cameo were nicely done. The Mustang would look much better with a nice green or blue paint job, but they were trying to stand out and contrast with the carbon fiber. Overall, impressive builds and not an easy job for the judges.
They were keeping with this current trend of black over white. Doesn’t do it for me either..
@@dansherwood9851 True. You have to go big or go home when it comes to the Ridler Award 🏆 🚗
Hey, that Auto Zone paint really shines up!....... Only kidding, all the cars are worthy! The lead sled is deserving of the trophy though.
MAACO paint jobs have come a long way! Gorgeous build and nice to see lead sleds still winning awards over 70 years later. I loved the Nova and spoke with one of the builders. It was called “Rome” because it wasn’t built in 1 day…more like 16 years 🤯
I thought they were Earl scheib paint jobs
@@agentk8263 Any car, any paint, $99.95 🤑
a lot of extremely talented carefull people have there skills on show here, who needs lamborghinis and ferraris,, these are real cars.
Built not bought 🦾
The supercharged 1978 King Cobra Coyote with a 6 speed was my pick. But the winner, the 1950 Mercury 'Maximus' is definitely deserving 1st place.
Best King Cobra I’ve ever seen. I loved the ‘55 Chevy Convertible, but even Maximus’ booth was the best - fully wrapped in matching tan hides. The Ridler judges have been favoring over the top builds. The Charger with the red headlights and cool taillights was incredible, even though it wasn’t up for the Ridler Award.
@@RobertLewisHUB - The Charger was cool but they should have changed the intake on the engine. That factory intake just looked totally out of place on a build of that level.
@@danmyers9372 are you talking about the Super Bee (last car)? They could have gone more over the top and that’s what the judges seem to look for these days.
The winner is so-so. I wish I had the money to buy one of these and then drive it to my local car show.
Most of the finalists are 7 figure, multi year and even decade+ long builds. The judges have been selecting more over the top builds in the last couple of years, so I’m not surprised Maximus won. Cars were meant to be driven, but these are now garage art.
I’ll take the silver grey Nova please! Riddler award winner is OK but those gangsta wheels and tires are hideous, NOVA FOR SURE!
The Nova was sick. Over a decade into the build and probably a couple million in as well 🚙🤑
👍
😎🚗
Love the rear bumper on the Chevrolet truck ! Super Bee Decals look terrible !
That Chevy truck is cleeeaaan. I guess the Super Bee builder wanted to pay tribute to the factory decal, but keep the lines on the car clean.
I thought Maximus was ugly. Much like 90% of the SEMA type builds. The only 1 I would have built for myself was the Nova.
Nova was extremely clean. Nice to see lead sleds still being appreciated. Their booth was the nicest with matching leather wrapped rails, which set them apart from the competition.
Canciones. De
Tmo
Sombi ....
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
They’re incredibly perfect builds. I wouldn’t want to be a judge 😳🚙
@@RobertLewisHUB So true Robert!
😁
It's funny that when I was a kid, white dudes would criticize lowriders. Now, muscle cars, show cars are all lowered and set up with chrome and candy paints..airbags too.
Times and preferences have definitely changed. Gassers look ridiculous with their lifted fronts, but they were a period type build. Have you watched my video on the LA Lowrider Super Show:
th-cam.com/video/i9ZEe9H6WwA/w-d-xo.html and Hopping Competiton:
th-cam.com/video/LZBWdn8rhBY/w-d-xo.html
@@RobertLewisHUB I will. I like all cars.
@@pumasgoya me too. Especially when the owner is passionate about their ride, it’s infectious.
If you can't drive them daily on the street, i'm not interested
I want to be rich enough to daily them and not care 🤑🚙🚗
Yeah. I'm the same way. I had a chopped top mustang. I drove it to the shows. It blew people away that I did that. Like you said. If you can't drive it. It ain't worth having
@@jamesweaver1738 Yup I drive my super clean 67 Mustang Convertible everywhere. Didn’t build it to look at it.
@@jamesweaver1738 would love to see photos! I’m a big fan of unique vehicles, with a few of my own which I’ll be sharing.
@@RobertLewisHUB Unfortunately I lost my photos in a fire. I built my mustang in late 1975. 4 inch chopped top. Custom grill work that would remind you of a 1970 challenger but with 76 Grand Prix headlights. It was painted pearl orange. The old Marano pearl. I won many trophies back then
Hey I know, let's spend million dollars on a car that can never be driven or doesn't even start... I think spending a million dollars on a car, that you can't even enjoy seems completely sensible!!,, What next, pay athletes a couple million dollars
Why not, right? Money is made from paper, so it basically grows on trees 💸
@@RobertLewisHUB haha,amen!
To even be considered these cars have to run and drive by the judges booth. So you may think it's pointless but after winning the award most become regular driving show cars
@@NewImageRides ok,,I guess it's a "billionaire thing",, I wouldn't understand
All useless cars, but pretty to look at.
Definitely. Garage ornaments and trailer queens, but also an opportunity to show off the shop’s abilities.
Millions of Dollars in Show cars that never get Driven , it must be like having a Trophy Wife you don't have sex with that must come with Owners kit
But fun to show off in public to impress random people 😏
It might be funny as a prank , to set up a filthy dented pick up with torn up interior and present it with a totally serious info placard with fake awards.
Lol the builders who have given years of their lives would lose their minds 😂
Taking junk and making them highly polished turds- never seen the point. Here I am showing my ten year old what exactly you don't do to classic steel. Cars are meant to be enjoyed, driven and Have fun with. These cars are just as fake as their owners.
Different strokes. I just wish they were driven
I click on to see Riddler winner and they show everything else. Stupid
What’s the fun in just seeing the winner? I showed you all of the Great 8 Finalists including the winner, which is the Merc.
1. '65 Mustang: Ugly...black and white?...Idiotic look...wheels are junk...just a pile, in general
2. '55 Chevy: Ugly...an abortion...what a waste of money.
3. Silver '67 Nova: decent...for a restomod...not too over the top
4. Root Beer Lead Sled '50 Merc: modern headlights look stupid...wheels are not "right"...exhaust holes in rear quarters...stupid.
5. '58 Chevy Truck...front spoiler...stupid...Wheels, lousy choice
6. '78 Mustang: front end looks stupid...but the car looks cool...for a restomod.
7.Silver '53 Chevy looks nice...not too overdone
8. '69 Super Bee...Ground effects look idiotic...monochromatic paint: stupid
The judges have been favoring over the top builds recently, so I’m not surprised they chose the Merc. Their display booth was completely wrapped in matching tan leather, which I’ve never seen before. When all things are equal, it comes down to presentation. Amazing how these are all high 6 and 7 figure builds and each are individual.
@@RobertLewisHUB Well...I, for one...am not impressed with any of them...ESPECIALLY when you consider the cost...car building has become a bit of a joke...no wonder more folks are going back to building traditional Rods, Patina cars, and Day 2 Muscle Cars...The old days WERE better
@@SesameStreetRacingChannel I agree that the prices of cars and the costs associated with restoring and keeping them on the road have gotten ridiculous. I prefer a clean build as well along the lines of Chip Foose and Dave Kindig's builds. The Ridler Award seems to be designed for builders to make a name for themselves by building over the top vehicles. That's obviously only 0.0001% of the car collector hobby. The majority of the hot rods and customs at the Detroit Autorama were cleaner and well done with smaller budgets (or home built). I love to see the passion and hard work that goes into these builds. I recorded a couple of hours of footage and here is one of the 3 other videos I've posted: th-cam.com/video/2ylV_bhNh3s/w-d-xo.html
That is the ugliest Mustang I have ever seen!
@@winstonmccollum8992 I don’t think the white paint did it any favors. I think if they repainted it in a darker blue or green shade, it would look great.