The Detroit Autorama is one of the most historic car shows in the world, drawing in the top builders in the custom car industry. This event is never short on great cars to look at that have been customized in every way possible. The Autorama is also where the Ridler award is handed out each year to the best-in show at the event. When it comes down to it, the Detroit Autorama is pure automotive nirvana for anybody who wants to see killer custom cars.

We spent an afternoon strolling around the Cobo Center to gaze upon all the wonderful drag racing cars that could be found. As expected, we weren’t disappointed with what was on display at this world-class event. Here are a few of our favorites along with a MASSIVE gallery of cars and trucks for you to check out!

Maynard Rupp was the 1965 NHRA Top Fuel champion and had the idea to inject Top Fuel horsepower into the fledgling Funny Car movement that was happening. What Rupp created was a 1966 Chevelle known as “Chevoom” that featured a full tube chassis and rear-mounted 402 cubic-inch Hemi with a blower. The car became very famous after it debuted and won both the Ridler Award and Best Engineered Award at the NHRA Winternationals. This car is packed with drag racing history and is just really cool to look at from any angle.

One of the most iconic and classic cars ever to grace a dragstrip is the Willys Coupe. Rick and Deb Francis from Saint Marys, Ohio commissioned American Gasser to build one sexy 1941 Willys that features a real steel body, American Gasser frame, with a tilt fiberglass front end. Powering this immaculate car is a 392 cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi with a 671 BDS blower accented by dual carburetors to help bring the air into the engine.

There were plenty of nostalgia cars on display as well throughout the Autorama. There was everything from classic front engine dragsters and Altereds to some interesting rat rod type creations.

Keith Jackson’s 1969 Pro Mod Camaro known as “The Patriot Missile” was a total show-stopper at the event. At first glance, you would think this car has an elaborate wrap depicting the patriotic theme … but you would be wrong, … that is all paint from Bruce Mullins. The Jerry Bickel Race Cars chassis has 872 cubic-inches of Buck Racing Engines power between the fenders with four stages of Speedtech nitrous to give it some serious rip. With this level of detail and paint on the Camaro Jackson will get a lot of attention at the track when he debuts the car this season.

Cars with the classic Gasser look are always cool but these two really stood out. This pair of cars were period-correct and had their own unique styling that grabbed our attention from a distance.

There was a time when the coolest racecars weren’t covered in corporate logos but had a name on their flanks. Bob Bright’s GTO known as “The Bright Idea” is a straight throwback to those days. You can probably see this car from space with its unique shade of green paint that has been buffed to a brilliant shine. The GTO has 535 cubic-inches of Pontiac power under the hood that makes 865 horsepower and 726 foot-pounds of torque on pump gas.

When you look at Bruce Kimmen’s 1969 Camaro built by Heads Up Racing you can tell right away this car means business. Underneath the deep black paint and classic flame paint job is a car that’s built to make some serious power. The 547 cubic-inch big-block Chevy gets a massive amount of boost from an F-2 ProCharger that puts the power down through a TH400 transmission. This car looks wicked-fast at any distance and embodies the classic muscle car look at the drag strip.

Multiple power adders, a full roll cage, and some big meat under the rear of the car. Do you think these two monsters are as fast as they look?

One of the coolest spots at the show included three classic Mopar drag cars. There was an original Sox & Martin Barracuda, Jim Tignanelli’s SS/A Barracuda, and Butch Leal’s original Factory 1965 Plymouth A-990 car known as the “California Flash”. You don’t see this many rare Hemi cars in one place away from the track, let alone two original cars from icons like Leal and Sox & Martin.

Kevin Bidwell’s 1976 Chevy Vega really caught our attention as we wandered the halls of the Cobo Center. The car known as “The Reaper is not only ultra-clean, it has 555 cubic-inches of big-block Chevy under the hood with a couple kits of nitrous for good measure. The car has a full tube chassis that features a ladder bar suspension in the rear.

Would it even be a display of drag racing cars without at least a few Fox Body Mustangs hanging out? Of course, these cars have just as much go as they do show and that’s what makes them so cool.

Grudge and No Time racing is huge in the Detroit region so it’s no surprise we found a car like Bill Walker’s 1971 Monte Carlo at the Autorama. This big-body Chevrolet just oozes cool with its bright orange paint, stock chrome, and big-block Chevy powerplant under the hood. With a couple kits of nitrous onboard you wouldn’t want to sleep on this car at the track.

Mike Ricketts’ 1967 Dodge Coronet is one of 55 factory Super Stock drag cars from Dodge and retains all its classic lines. The Competition Components-built Hemi cranks out 886 horsepower on pump gas and fills the engine bay nicely of this classic Dodge. This car has a bit of history, as well, since its previous owner, Jack Thomas, won class at the 1967 U.S. Nationals behind the wheel.