Autorama 2013

Since I decided to attend the Auto Show this year, I figured I should give Autorama a shot as well. It’s been running for over 60 years and features a wide range of custom cars – from Hot Rods to tricked out motorcycles to replica movie vehicles like the Batmobile.

We parked in our usual spot downtown and stopped by Greektown to grab some cheap burgers and fries from Five Guys.

They were pretty packed (lot of folks heading to the show) and while we waited I grabbed a handful of peanuts.

These things are free for the snacking and the perfect thing to keep your hands busy while you wait for your food. They’ve got a good roast level and are salted just right.

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger after seeing they deep fry their bacon. I am very picky about my bacon being fully totally crunchily cooked and deep frying gets the job done.

Even the peanuts couldn’t keep me from getting a bite before I remembered to photograph it.

The fries are cooked in peanut oil, and fresh sliced daily. They aren’t the most perfect fry ever, but definitely have a “can’t stop eating them!” quality. Plus they are not stingy with the serving size. After filling the cup and putting it in the bag, they dump some more in for good measure.

So mini food review: if you want a good non-greasy burger at a decent price (all you could want toppings included) then check them out. But stay far away if you have a peanut allergy.

On to the show!

It was a LARGE show. Easily as much space as NAIAS but without the expensive displays. I didn’t mind that part, but the over head grid of lights made it impossible to get a satisfactory shot of most of the cars. Everything ended up with bright white polka dots. They did allow tripods though which made me happy. I was able to set my camera down low and let it run a long shutter to cut down some of the crowd showing up. Make no mistake, it was very busy in there.

The basement where all the really fun stuff was at was absolutely jam packed with people however. It was exceedingly warm too and it wasn’t long before I had had my fill and we ducked out to call it a day. I do miss the cushy flooring that the auto companies put down for the AutoShow. Five hours on concrete had my feet screaming.

Here’s what I did grab:

It was a decent outing, but the price of tickets were a bit on the high side for what you get. I don’t know that I’d go again unless someone had deeply discounted admission, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you’ve never been.