Rachel Moulden for Digital First Media
Kevin Bachert of Royal Oak has loved classic cars ever since he was young boy. He always enjoyed the look of older cars, and his favorite car growing up was the ’57 Chevy.
“Being born in the ’50s, I always felt the cars from ’64 to ’67 were really appealing in their body structure,” he says. Bachert owned a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda for eight years before acquiring his 1967 marina blue Pontiac LeMans.
Bachert will showcase the 1967 he’s proudly owned for five years at Autorama, one of the largest and oldest hot rod/custom car shows in America. It will be at Cobo Center in Detroit from Feb. 26-28. This is the car show’s 64th year.
Bachert decided to take part in Autorama again after entering one of its classic car competitions four years ago. This year he will compete in the 1967 Conservative Hard Top class and hopes to win.
“Last time I competed in Autorama, I placed fourth place in my group, so this year I hope I have a good chance of placing even higher in the competition,” he says.
Another participant, Jim Davies of Madison Heights will showcase his yellow 1976 Chevy hatchback, a 1955 Chevy and a 1972 Camaro. Like Bachert, Davies developed a love for classic cars when he was young, and received his first classic as a birthday gift at age 16.
Davies works as a mechanic and has owned a lot of cars since then, so it’s no wonder he has such a passion for classic cars. In his free time, he enjoys restoring cars and hanging out with his friends, who are also car enthusiasts.
“There is not much to do in the winter, so Autorama is something to do to keep me out of trouble,” he joked. “So you should come out to see me and my car!”
Bachert says he feels Autorama is one of the most prestigious car shows in the country and it does a great job of showcasing classic cars.
It is a favorite of car enthusiasts, this year displaying 800 of the most amazing custom cars in the world, plus car-related exhibits and live entertainment. One of the special guests at show is History Channel star Danny “The Count” Koker from the History Channel’s “Counting Cars.” He and his band, The Count’s 77, will perform live on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The event also will include a special display of some of the cars of the past and the exhibit Cavalcade of Customs will include a 10-car exhibit of specially invited customs.
Autorama tickets are $19 adults, $6 children, with discount tickets available at O’Reilly Auto Parts. For more info, visitautorama.com/attend/detroit/ or call 248-373-1700.
Rachel Moulden 