2010 Sacramento Autorama
Cal Expo Fairgrounds – Sacramento, California

Article by – John R. Andres/SMM Editor-in-Chief

Photography by – Deborah Hepper, Randy Jones and J.R. Andres

I hate to admit it but my personal experience with car shows dates back to the 1960 Detroit Autorama, which was held yearly at downtown’s Cobo Hall. I can still remember how my senses were overwhelmed when I first walked into the main auditorium, inundated with the smell of fresh lacquer paint, blended with a hint of Simonize car wax carefully mixed with the aroma of fresh rubber. For a boy of twelve it was more than one could stand because before me were the icons every gearhead kid in the city of Detroit paid homage to every time we opened a copy of “Car Craft” or “Hot Rod” magazine.

As a young “car guy” in training, I can also remember how impressed I was with the pictures and the articles describing automobiles I was convinced I would never own. After all, who could compete with the likes of Darryl Starbird, the Alexander Brothers, Gene Winfield, Ed Roth and George Barris? Those Michigan winters seemed endless with the exception of the Autorama that was held each January. For all of us, it represented a fleeting glimpse of West Coast sunshine and thoughts of summer at a time when the skies were steely gray and the snow covered everything in sight.

The experience I realized over the twelve hours spent at that 1960 show never faded away and each and every time I walk into an auditorium filled with the great grandchildren of the cars I saw 50 years ago, I’m transported to a place that defies definition. I’ll willingly go there time and time again, knowing I’m not the only one.

The quality of the entries at the 2010 Sacramento Autorama would convince even the casual observer that the artistry and the attention to detail necessary to prove the value of the oft used term “rolling art” was alive and well in the 21st century. Strolling through the buildings filled with endless examples of pride in workmanship, each entry demonstrated the abilities and the creative talents of the individuals who spent countless hours expressing themselves through color, texture and design.

The variety ranged from bicycles to custom rods to dragsters and it was well worth the time to travel back and forth through six buildings to take it all in. The centerpiece of the show was the ‘33 Ford owned by Mike and Dianna Dingman which was granted the coveted “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” award in Pomona. Within each building the cars were well displayed and the walkways sufficient to accommodate the crowds that descended upon the Cal Expo Fairgrounds over the entire weekend, allowing the masses to pause and take in the flavor of each vehicle appearing before them.

Awards for each class were presented on Sunday but achievement cannot be measured by a trophy alone because every owner had reason to be proud of what he or she had accomplished. Their contributions made the 2010 Sacramento Autorama successful through hard work and determination and it was evident everywhere you looked. For me, it began once again when I first walked into the main auditorium, inundated with the smell of fresh paint …

SMM wishes to thank Event Coordinator, George Hague, John Buck Enterprises and Rod Shows, Inc. for providing our staff with the assistance necessary to complete this article.

2010 Sacramento Autorama Gallery