A picture speaks a thousand words, so we’ll keep it brief. The variety of cars at MOTORAMA is what makes it the best show of the year. An incredible number of cars from the 40s and 50s that look like museum pieces. These are irreplaceable, ultra rare, high-dollar cars.
Moving forward in time, there were plenty of 50s on display, including chopped-top lead sleds.
There was a huge ‘drive-in’ section with plenty of mid-50s American sedans. These cars are decked out with ever feature available at the time; continental kits, curb feelers and Fulton sun-visors. The engine bays were so clean, it was obvious these cars hadn’t been driven in years. Too bad.
There were also plenty of period-correct hot-rods from the earliest days of the car culture. The cars look like they were built yesterday in a style from 70 years ago.
The rat-rod trend of unpainted, rusty cars seems to have faded away. All that creativity is still visible, but not in such a raw, unfinished state.
Muscle cars are a big part of MOTORAMA. Everything from mid-60s Mopar to mid-70s Camaros.
These are achievable, affordable enthusiast cars. Mechanically simple, the average grease monkey can restore or maintain a muscle car to a reasonably high degree. Everything from daily drivers to lowriders on hydraulics were on display.
For the younger crowd, late-model ‘tuner’ cars were shown in the ‘spring fling’ section at the back of the building.
Nissans, Mini Coopers and Toyotas represent a completely different facet of car culture. Newer, more accessible, instantly available, these cars are modern hot rods and deserve just as much admiration.
Without a doubt, MOTORAMA is the most diverse cross section of popular car culture in Toronto.
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