For most of the past half century, there has been a custom car / hot rod show at Toronto’s International Centre at the start of March Break. And each year, car clubs from around the province have been part of it, showcasing their members’ vehicles in creative displays.
Looking at the 2023 edition of the eBay Motors Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo, Show Car Coordinator Gary Challice is pleased with the wide variety of clubs that will be at the show, and the outstanding vehicles they’ll have in their booths. The show takes place March 10, 11 & 12 at Toronto’s International Centre, across from Pearson Airport.
“We’re really excited,” said Challice. “The level of interest in this year’s show is overwhelming. We could actually fill another building if we had the space. It’s also great to see that some of the people who have been away from the car show for a number of years – because of the pandemic – are coming back with new builds and updated vehicles.
“As you know, Motorama prides itself on displaying ‘first time shown’ vehicles and our 28-car front hall is comprised almost entirely of cars making their first appearances at indoor shows, in Canada.”
Turning to the clubs, Challice is impressed with the content on tap for Motorama 2023.
“Beyond individual car owners, we’ve had a tremendous response this year from car clubs. In fact, this is the first year in memory that we’ve had to turn down some clubs, because we just don’t have the space to accommodate all the ones that wanted to come.”
This year’s list of clubs includes: the Corvettes of Durham (Featured Club), Brampton Street Rods, Centennial Street Rodders, The Eliminators Car Club, Firebird Club of Canada, Newmarket Car Club, MG Club of Toronto, Oldies Car Club, Ontario Camaro Club, Rodmasters Car Club and the Rams of Ontario.
Mayhem… in the Backroom (Hall 2) will host The Lead Kings, The Road Reapers, The Aces Wild and The Hellions. In the Spring Fever area, several clubs are being represented by multiple entries, including the Swift Car Club, Lick Your Lips, Kayotic, Nokturnal, Exclusive CC and 905 Rides.
“Looking at the clubs that are coming, we’ve got some that are coming back to the show for the first time in many years, like the Centennial Car Club. What’s interesting about their display is that the oldest car they’re bringing is a 1927 and their newest is a 1951,” Challice continued. “Contrast that with our Featured Club, the Corvettes of Durham, and they’re bringing a nice assortment of Corvettes, including two brand new ones, that have pretty much never been seen before up here, which is exciting.”
Discussing other clubs coming to Motorama, Challice notes that the MG Club of Toronto will be making its first ever appearance at the show, while the Newmarket Car Club is returning after several years away. The Eliminators Car Club is also coming, for 2023.
“They are bringing some interesting cars,” said Challice. “This year, I know they’re bringing an Anglia and a Nostalgia Dragster that’s been recently restored. And then there are the loyal supporters who come with something new every year, like Cindy Hunter and the Camaro Club. The Firebird club is back, too.”
More than just bringing vehicles, many of the clubs also present their vehicles in themed displays and are competing for cash prizes. For example, last year’s Featured Club, the Brampton Street Rods, won the Outstanding Club Display Award, at last year’s show. All of the clubs also get participation plaques, to display at their clubhouses.
Asked about the general feeling heading into the show, Challice said, “The excitement is there. We’re a few weeks out from the show and we’re still getting entry forms and we’ve been pretty much full for a month. It’s a nice position to be in because we can pick and choose and pick cars that haven’t been shown before. It’s a bit of a lesson to get people to enter your vehicle early for next year’s show.
“One area of tremendous interest this year is drag racing. I don’t think we’ve ever had as many drag cars. We have Top Fuel, a Front-Engine Dragster, Nitro Funny Cars, a Jet Trucks and Junior Dragsters. It’s pretty impressive.”
For tickets and show info, visit MotoramaShow.com.
