Mopar® Clubs at Autorama

Words and Photos: Roger Meiners

The 59th Detroit Autorama is now considered the premier hot rod show in America, primarily because of the Don Ridler Memorial Award, which goes to the best custom car shown for the first time anywhere. We like to think that the other big reason is all the cool Mopars on display every year thanks to the Mopar® clubs that come out in force for the show.

Autorama was the first paid public show ever held in the new Cobo Center (a.k.a. Cobo Hall), but Autorama actually started in 1953 at the University of Detroit Field House. It was started by a bunch of hot rodders in the Michigan Hot Rod Association (MHRA) as a way to raise money for a drag strip. They were successful and the show went on to become one of the biggest and most respected shows of its kind in the United States. The MHRA is still a sponsor of the Detroit Autorama.

The Mopar Clubs that put on group exhibits at Autorama are the North Oakland Mopar Muscle Car Club, Michigan Mopar and the Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association (CEMA). They invade Detroit to see who can bring the best Mopars to Cobo Center. The North Oakland Mopar Muscle Car Club is the home club of many beautiful Chrysler muscle cars, including Harold Sullivan’s famous Silver Bullet, a much-modified Plymouth Belvedere GTX hardtop with the reputation of never losing a race while in the hands of original owner Jimmy Addison. Photographs of the Bullet and 87 other fantastic Mopars are on the club Web site at www.440sixpack.com.

The Michigan Mopar Muscle Club was founded in 2004 and numbers well over 100 members. In addition to Autorama, the club participates in events such as the Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association (CEMA) car show at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich.; the Woodward Dream Cruise; Frankenmuth (Mich.) and the Gratiot cruise event. This year, the club is planning the first annual Road Rally, a two-day event scheduled for May 14 and 15. Check them out at www.michiganmoparmuscle.com.

The Chrysler Employee Motorsport Association is noted not only for a great presence at Autorama, but also a well-attended car show on the grounds of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. This year’s CEMA show happens on Saturday June 11, 2011. The show is the day after the final stop of the Hot Rod Power Tour at Metropolitan Beach, Mt. Clemens, Mich. Because of the close proximity of the two events The NHRA Museum Road Tour will come from the Power Tour to visit the CEMA Car Show. The Road Tour’s new mobile museum will be on display. It is housed in a 37-foot trailer that fans can step inside to experience NHRA’s greatest moments. The display features National DRAGSTER photographs, artifacts and historic cars, including the NHRA Safety Safari Wagon and the 1962 Dragmaster Dart dragster. Road Tour co-sponsor Mr. Norm’s will also have cars on display. For more info, visit the CEMA Web site at www.cemaclub.org.

The three clubs have all had interesting displays at Autorama for years. It’s all part of their passion for Mopar as demonstrated by their diverse automotive lifestyles in the Mopar Nation.