The Detroit Autorama is coming this weekend. To celebrate, here’s a big photo gallery with all 51 Ridler Award winners from 1964 to 2014. 

Gearheads everywhere know the story of Don Ridler and the Ridler Award, the top prize at the Detroit Autorama. As the promotions and marketing wizard for Autorama, Ridler brought the show into national prominence, but then tragically passed away at the age of 54. To say thank you and to keep his memory alive, Autorama organizers created the Ridler Award, which each year honors the show’s best new car. This weekend will mark the 52st year for the prize, which many regard as America’s most prestigious hot rod award.

We’ve begun an annual tradition here at Mac’s Motor City Garage. Each year leading up to the show, we present a photo gallery of all the Ridler Award winners from 1964 to present. Some of the cars in this collection are now famous, others nearly forgotten, but they’re all worthy of another look. Gallery below — click on any image to launch a slide show.

See you at Autorama, and stay tuned to Mac’s Motor City Garage for full coverage of the show, including this year’s Great 8 and the 2014 Ridler Award winner.

62nd Annual Meguiar’s Detroit Autorama; Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit, MI; Fri 12 PM-10 PM, Sat 9 AM-10 PM, Sun 10 AM-8 PM.