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Retro Review: AMC MarlinThe Best Indoor Car Shows
It’s winter time, but that doesn’t mean that the car shows have to stop. We’re looking at some of the best Indoor car shows from around the country!
You Can Still Attend a Classic Car Show This Winter
Well, it’s that time of year again. The cold weather is taking over, snow is starting to come in, and the show cars being put away for a couple months. It’s been fun walking around the different car shows this summer and seeing all of the wonderful builds everyone has on display, but nobody really wants to park their meticulously cared for car outside during the winter. That said, there is an alternative that lets these cars still strut their stuff without having to worry about the elements.
Indoor car shows bring all those great looking show cars indoors so that the owners and car enthusiast attendees can happily gather together away from the cold. These indoor car shows can be found all around the USA, which means you should be able to find one near you. While just about any of these events will be worth a visit, we went ahead and picked out some of the best indoor car shows from around the country. Check them out this winter!
Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show
Looking for a classic car show that supports a great cause? Go on down to Wichita, Kansas between January 13th and 15th for 2023 and you can witness one of the longest running indoor car shows in the country – the Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show. This indoor car show has been going since 1957 and was flipped into a charitable event back in 2011. It’s all about donating to charity, making sure kids have fun, and bringing together some of the most unique car builds from around the country.
There are over 50 different show awards to be had at the Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show, but only a select few can be picked for the Magnificent 7 Competition featuring a cash prize. The Magnificent 7 are seven entrants whose cars are the best and most outstanding vehicles of the show. Each of the seven win $1,000 just for being chosen, but the overall winner gets another $10,000 on top of that.
For 2023, 100% of Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show proceeds will be split between donations to AbilityPoint and Starkey; two organizations dedicated to helping individuals with intellectual and or developmental disabilities. Cars for Charities Rod & Custom Car Show has donated over $1,000,000 to the originations to date. The indoor car show takes place inside the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center building which provides the event with nearly 200,000 square feet of space to park show cars and vendors. Get your tickets soon!
Auto Mania Allentown
Auto Mania in Allentown, Pennsylvania isn’t necessarily a car show, but it’s worth mentioning this giant indoor automotive swap meet that’s been running for over 30 years. From January 20th to the 22nd, you can experience Auto Mania at the 59,000 square foot Agricultural Hall of the Allentown Fairgrounds. There are tons of different vendors selling just about anything car related you could ever want.
The event is packed full of restored classic, partially finished project cars, vintage car parts, and restoration products that are all for sale or trade. Not only that, but automotive collectors can get their hands on a bunch of different items that would fit right in their man cave/decorated garage. Old automotive signage, scale model cars, vintage oil cans, some classic gas pumps, and just about any other automotive related collectable can be found at Auto Mania. It’s like walking into an episode of American Pickers. Head on over to Auto Mania and join the thrill of the hunt!
Winter Rod and Speed Show
The Winter Rod and Speed Show takes place over in Albany, Oregon from January 20th to the 21st. It’s one of the largest indoor car shows of the northeast featuring over 100 cars packed into the Linn Country Expo Center. They bring together some of the best hot rods, muscle cars, bikes, low riders, customer trucks, and even some racecars all from around the northwest.
There are more than just people showing off their cars at the Winter Rod and Speed Show, they also have some fun additions for the kids. Previous events have featured one of the largest model car contests, a NASCAR simulator, and a life sized Batmobile replica. There’s also a swap meet in another building so attendees can check out the cars and then find some automotive hidden gems all in one place. Winter Rod and Speed Show also acts as a charitable event as they host a food drive for FISH of Albany and a portion of the event’s proceeds goes to charity!
Winterfest of Wheels
This one is a local favorite of mine that brings out some great looking cars for a good cause. Winterfest of Wheels is an indoor car show that takes place at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The event is dedicated to bringing some of the best show cars from around the area together and all profits are then donated to the local Sanford Cure Kids Cancer program.
While there are plenty of classic cars, custom builds, and exciting racecars to be seen, the Winterfest of Wheels makes sure that it’s about the kids. The organizers do their best to bring some fun characters to the show floor and there are great kid friendly experiences too. The show car judging is even something the kids can join in on as the People’s Choice is the big award for this event. Check out Winterfest of Wheels happening February 3rd to the 5th!
Grand National Roadster Show
The Grand National Roadster Show is one of the oldest and longest running indoor car shows in the world. Thousands of different hot rods and custom cars attend this show every year with the hope of winning one of the event’s distinguished awards. America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award is handed out to the best looking 1937 or earlier US based roadsters and the winner also gets $12,500. Some famous names that have won the nine-foot-tall trophy include George Barris of Barris Kustom Industries and Motorsports Hall of Famer John Buttera.
The other prestigious Grand National Roadster Show award is the Al Slonaker Memorial Award, which honors the founder of this indoor car show. The trophy is awarded to the best non-roadster of the show and comes with a $12,500 prize. Outside those major awards, the Grand National Roadster Show also hands out individual class awards and nearly 100 different special awards.
While a majority of the event occurs inside the various Fairplex buildings, the Grand National Roadster Show also has some outdoor attractions and show cars since it takes place in sunny Pomona, California. Outside is where you’ll find the Annual Grand Daddy Drive-In that’s open to pretty much any classic vehicle to come and show off. There’s also going to be a Keep On Truckin’ featured attraction showcasing 50 years of classic trucks from old F-100s up to some ‘90s Mini Trucks.
Get your tickets for the Grand National Roadster Show happening February 2nd through the 5th!
Motorama
Looking for the largest indoor racing and car show event? You’ll have to head over to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania February 18th through the 19th to catch the annual Motorama event at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. They’ve got hundreds of show cars to look at and some automotive vendors in attendance like most of our other suggest events, but this indoor car show is all about the racers.
Motorama hosts a number of radio-controlled races, Arenacross, Go Kart races, and Quarter Midget races throughout their show. The racecars also take a up a good portion of the Motorama show floor too. Pennsylvania has one of the largest dirt track racing scenes in the country, so there are plenty of sprint cars, late models, and modifieds in attendance. Along with those dirt racers are other major motorsport classes like dragsters, street stocks, and just about any kind of racecar. If your affinity for cars extends to racing, you’ve got to check out Motorama!
Autorama, World of Wheels, and Cavalcade of Customs
Autorama, World of Wheels, and Cavalcade of Customs is actually a traveling car show series that typically takes place indoors. Their shows hit every corner of the United States and attendees are in for a treat for every show. There are wall to wall classics, roadsters, trucks, hot rods, and fully customized builds packing the show floors. Just about every entry at one of these shows has careful attention to detail and especially intricate show spaces in hopes of taking home a major show award. Be sure to catch one of these Autorama events taking place at a convention center near you!
SEMA Show
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show is one of the largest indoor car shows of the year. Thousands of attendees from all around the world come to Las Vegas to witness auto industry concept reveals, find out about some of the latest in auto performance and technology, plus there’s the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition featuring tons of fully custom car builds. The SEMA Show is actually happening right now, so you can catch our coverage on the reveals and the Battle of the Builders here on the Carsforsale.com Blog!
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