Cars and Adventures

Tag: Car Show

  • 2023 Chicago World of Wheels

    2023 Chicago World of Wheels

    For decades, the World of Wheels car shows have been synonymous with incredible automotive works of art. The shows are held all over the United States and in Canada. Some of the biggest names in custom cars have featured their cars at these shows. I always have a great time at these shows and was fortunate to attend the Chicago World of Wheels event this year. It had been several years since I attended a World of Wheels show, and I am glad I did. 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the show, and it was filled with some incredible rides.

    The Show

    Each year, the Chicago World of Wheels brings together incredible cars, car clubs, vendors, and celebrities for an epic event. During the event, the pinstriping organization “Chicago Brushmasters” raises money for the Ronald McDonald House charity through an art auction.

    The organizers do a really good job of keeping things fresh. With a show like this, I never know what to expect, and it is safe to say I was not disappointed.

    The Vehicles

    It’s hard to describe the cars on display, given the sheer variety. The show brought out everything from showroom-stock classics to wild customs. From iconic to avant-garde, there’s something for just about everyone.

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    Car Clubs

    A cool feature of the show is the car club displays. Car clubs throughout the area brought their cars to be displayed together. As with the rest of the show, the variety was staggering.

    Cycle-Rama—The Motorcycles

    The Cycle-Rama motorcycle show is a show-within-a-show at the Chicago World of Wheels. I saw a mixture of custom Harleys and sport bikes and, not to mention, plenty of chrome. It’s a great way for builders to showcase their work.

    Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Remembering U.S. 30 Dragstrip

    For many years, the U.S. 30 Dragstrip drew fans from all over Northwest Indiana. Although it’s been closed for decades, many people have fond memories of the racing action they experienced there. Everyone from drag racing icons to locals competed at it. This year, the 2023 Chicago World of Wheels gathered together many of the cars that had competed there for a display honoring the historic track.

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    Walking through the display was like stepping back in time. You can’t help but love the names given to these classic cars, such as “Staged Fright” and “Red Light Bandit.” I even saw an artist hand-painting a name on the side of one of the cars in the display.

    Ed Roth Cars

    If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know the significance of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. The custom car builder and cartoonist created some incredible automotive works of art that helped define the 60’s show car scene. His “Ratfink” cartoon character continues to be a hot-rodding icon, appearing on countless cars and t-shirts. This year, the Chicago World of Wheels featured a couple of his wild-custom cars, an incredible recreation of one of his cars, a large surfing ratfink figure complete with a blown V-8 attached to the board, and one of his personal cars, a 1970s Honda Civic. 

    Orbitron

    A great example of one of Roth’s space-age designs, the Orbiton features a bubble top and a color tv.

    The Mysterion

    Also on display was a painstaking re-creation of Ed Roth’s Mysterion. It sports twin motors, twin transmissions, and twin rear ends. Interestingly, the Mysterion features a single seat with a central driver position.

    Tweedy Pie

    Tweedie Pie, A heavily-modified Ford Model T, features pinstriping and a 1957 Chevy Corvette engine with six carburetors.

    Ed Roth’s Honda Civic

    This Honda Civic was one of Ed Roth’s personal vehicles. It’s also a rolling canvas featuring a giant Ratfink painted on the hood, along with pinstriping.

    The Surfink

    The Surfink, created by Mark Glaz as a tribute to Ed Roth and Ratfink, features a large Ratfink figure atop a surfboard complete with a blown V-8 engine.

    George Barris Cars

    Undoubtedly one of the biggest names in custom cars and movie/tv cars was the iconic George Barris. His creations stole the show in countless tv shows and movies. On display at this show were some of his iconic creations, plus his trademark jacket.

    The Batmobile

    The 1960s Batman tv show was a bonified cultural phenomenon, and the Batmobile was right there along with it.

    The Munster Koach

    The gothic Munster Koach functioned as the family car in the classic 1960s television series The Munsters.

    Wrapping Up

    It’s always nice to have a car show relatively close by, especially a world-class one like the World of Wheels. It’s one of those places where you can walk and walk and still be surprised by what you are seeing.  I’m looking forward to attending another World of Wheels.

    Ever been to the World of Wheels or know of a car event I should go to next? Tell me about it in the comments!

  • The 2019 Trans Am Nationals.

                   This August I went to the 35th Annual Trans Am Nationals in Fairborn, Ohio. Although I was only able to attend on Saturday and Sunday, I was able to see a lot of stuff and got to go to the Tipp City Cruise. The Cruise is considered a highlight of the event by many. This year there were 485 cars. According to one person who was attending the record was around 600 back in 2002. Although it was a little off from the all-time high, it is still impressive considering that in 2002 the Pontiac Trans Am was still in production.
    The 1971 Pontiac Pegasus.
                   This year was unique in that the GM Heritage Center had brought several Pontiac Firebird concept cars from Detroit. This was a rare opportunity to see these cars as the Center is not open to the public, although large groups can arrange a visit. They included the Banshee, a red on red concept car with a longer, sleeker hood then production models. The Pontiac Pegasus, a V-12 Ferrari-Powered 1971 Firebird. The K Type Trans Am station wagon concept car was also in attendance. There was also an unveiling of the nearly completely restored Silverbird racecar, as well as the actual 1989 Trans Am used to pace the Indianapolis 500. There was a huge 1989 Turbo Pace Car turn out as it was the 30th anniversary for them. Several high-ranking Pontiac engineers were in attendance as well who helped shape the Trans Am in its early days of production in the ’60s and ’70s.
    The Pontiac Banshee concept car.

                   It was amazing seeing cars in person that I had only seen pictures of in books or magazines. The Pegasus was beautiful with its deep red paint. The body differed significantly from a production Firebird. The interior had been modified as well. The Banshee was also radically modified from a stock Firebird. Not only was the front of the car sleeker, but the doors had also been modified enough that that traditional full side windows had to be substituted with a much smaller one, like the kind seen on a DeLorean. There was also extensive pinstriping done as well, which makes sense as the car is from the mid-’70s. The other concept car was the Trans Am Type K. I had seen it years ago when the show was located at a nearby airport back in 2006. The Trans Am Type K is unique in that it is a station wagon prototype. It features redesigned rear seats, giving backseat occupants more room. It also has a lower rearview mirror to counter the changed rear visibility. A station wagon may seem like an odd choice for a Trans Am concept car, however, in the late ’70s, the Trans Am was a big enough seller that GM could afford to try something different. The sleek Silverbird was cool in a book and awe-inspiring in person. It was the brainchild of Pontiac engineer turned racecar driver and designer Herb Adams. It’s custom body mounted on a race car tube frame made it stand out from production models. It was very cool to see them all side-by-side.

    The Pontiac Trans Am Type K concept car.
                   
                    The Tipp City Cruise was always fun. It was nice seeing the hundreds of Firebirds and Trans Ams converge and park around the beautiful downtown area. There is a separate award ceremony for the Tipp City Cruise, as well as a DJ. On Sunday, I was able to check out more cars and go to the Mini Nationals, located in a room at the hotel. The Mini Nationals is always fun to see. It is an entire room filled with die-cast and plastic model kit Firebirds and Trans Ams representing many different scales, both unboxed and still in the original box. There were also some dioramas set up as well. Several people had brought large collections of cars to it.
    A 1969 Pontiac Trans Am. The first year for the Trans Am.
                   On Sunday a charity auction was held. Some of the items auctioned off for the charity event were a slot car set autographed by several of the Pontiac engineers in attendance. It was a great show that took a lot of effort to pull off, but the staff did an amazing job making sure everything ran smoothly. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new people. I’m looking forward to seeing what new things are there next year.
    A large collection at the Mini Nationals.
    One of the many 1989 Turbo Trans Ams at the show.

  • The 2018 Trans Am Nationals

    The 2018 Trans Am Nationals.
                    The Trans Am Nationals, on its 34th year, is held annually near Dayton, Ohio. For the last several years it has been held at a hotel in Fairborn, Ohio. It is open to all Pontiac Firebirds. This year there were almost 400 Firebirds. It starts on Friday, and goes on till Sunday, with an optional meet up at a dragstrip several miles away on Thursday. It is made up of a car show with judging, auctions, a swap meet, cars for sale, and a vendor’s row. There is also the “Mini Nats” which was comprised of a wide variety of model Firebirds, spanning several decades and scales that filled an entire room.
    Trans Am at the Hotel.
    The hotel, which is located right off of the interstate, could be described as a college town. Just across the road from the hotel is Write State University. Surrounding the hotel are various restaurants and strip malls. I arrived around 2 in the afternoon. Went through the tech inspection and got my car washed with the hose the hotel had left out for the show cars. Later in the evening, we got dinner at a restaurant/brewery called the Wandering Griffin just down a side road not far from the hotel. The parking lot there formed a miniature car show. Even after dark people hang around outside their cars, inside at the hotel restaurant/bar there was karaoke. The second day had several seminars, as well as the Tipp City Cruise. The judging for the Nationals takes place on Saturday and Sunday and is divided up into several classes, in regards to year, extent (if any) of modification, as well as a driver/work in progress class and a concours class. The concours judging involves a far more detailed inspection of cars that what is normally performed in other classes. In the concours judging tent, it’s not usual to see a judge lying on the ground to get a view of the underside of a car.   
    A group of second generation Trans Am’s.
    Tipp City is a small city located just north of Dayton, Ohio. Its small downtown makes up the main drag and continues for a short distance down a few side streets. The main drag is actually a state highway, making the fact the entire thing gets closed down extra impressive. The Tipp City Cruise had its own awards. Ongoing to the Tipp City cruise; we were instructed to take a “scenic route”. There was construction on the main highway to Tipp City, and they had wanted us to enter the city opposite of the main highway. The route took us on the main highway, where we turned off far before the state highway that runs through downtown Tipp City where the site of the cruise is. After turning off the main highway, the road to Tipp City winds through fields, small towns, and rolling hills until it arrives there. The main street and side roads were filled with Trans Am’s and Firebirds. The restaurants in the town (although it is technically a city it gives a small town vibe) were packed. There were several groups that were selling food as well. We left out a little after noon on Sunday. I had a great time; I really look forward to returning next year.
    A variety of Trans Am’s arriving at the Tipp City Cruise.