Beloit Autorama
Written by Keith Fudge

Recently, Dennis Gage and the crew from My Classic Car found a show full of all types of certified car nuts!  The show was the Beloit Autorama in Beloit, Wisconsin.  Held in scenic Preservation Park on the shores of the Rock River, this event was in its 30th year and draws up to 1,000 cars.  One of the amazing aspects of this show is that you can see almost any type of vehicle here!  Dennis spoke with Todd Nelson, Event Co-Chairman, who has been with the show for 25 years.  Todd went on to say that they expected approximately 900 cars for this year’s event.  He also said that there was a Swap Meet with 200 vendors and a Car Corral with approximately 150-200 cars of all makes and models for sale.  Todd said that the show has somewhat turned into a national draw, but the greatest concentration of participants still comes from the Midwest.  Soon it was time for Dennis to make his way around the grounds and see some of these unbelievable cars! 

First, Dennis found Rollyn Anderson and his unique Maxton Roller Skate!  These cars were built in Englewood, Colorado in 1992 and 1993 with a total of 56 vehicles produced.  Powered by a Mazda rotary engine, this 78 cubic-inch dynamo makes 240 horsepower!  In a car that weighs approximately 1,680 pounds, it must feel more like a rocket than a roller skate!  Next, Dennis found Dave Markee and his sweet 1939 Ford Deluxe street rod.  This restoration took eight years and is truly one of the coolest cars we have ever seen.  Painted in silver green metallic with purple and beige pinstriping and with tan leather interior, this custom is cushy comfortable.  However, don’t be fooled!  Under the hood of this beauty is the heart of a dragon in the form of a 502 cubic-inch big block!  Talk about “eye-popping,” that is the way to describe Jeff Krueger’s 1970 GTO!  Painted in Tangelo from House of Kolor, this bad boy is truly a glorious sight!  With a tan interior, 18-inch American Racing wheels on the front and 20-inch wheels on the rear, this car is the definition of “head-turner.”  Under the hood is a 400 cubic-inch engine bored .040 over with an aluminum intake, Speed Demon carburetor, and ported and polished heads!  Jeff doesn’t trailer the car, and all we can say is when you see him coming, “get out of the way!”  Now, what Kevin Mueller uses as his daily tow vehicle is certainly impressive enough, but it is what he is towing that is really a cause for attention.  Kevin uses a sweet 1957 Chevy droptop to do the haulin’ of a pair of boats that are too cool for school.  The first boat is a 1958 Glastron Seaflite that looks as if it rolled off the 1957 Chevy assembly line!  Almost matching the tow vehicle in every detail, right down to the sweeping rear quarters, this boat is a stunning example of 1950s automotive styling mixed with marine transportation.  However, it is the next boat that Kevin tows that is even more stunning.  Kevin’s 1956 Lonestar Meteor features side mounted headlights with “eyebrow” trim and classic 1950s automotive fins.  This water cruiser looks as if it is a true cross between car and boat.  Another neat tow vehicle is Steve Bacon’s 1946 two-toned Chevy pickup.  Decked out in black and red with plenty of chrome, Steve did this restoration right.  He took the truck back to its showroom glory, but what he was towing it with doesn’t take a backseat to anything.  On a small matching trailer was an immaculately restored 1942 Harley-Davidson 45 cubic-inch motorcycle.  This bike is a great example of American motorcycle design and history!  The last car that Dennis saw was a classic hot rod.  Owned by Gordy Cushman, this car was originally built by the Shifters Car Club in California but has now made its way to the Midwest.  Gordy eventually found the car in Burbank, California and brought it back to the Midwest where he rebuilt just about everything!  He spoke in depth about the modifications made to the car.  Let’s just say that there were several, but the important thing is that the results are outstanding as this car truly takes one back to the glory days of hot rodding!

Dennis and gang had a great time at the Beloit Autorama in southern Wisconsin.  If you would like information on this year’s event, you can give them a visit at www.beloitautorama.com.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”