The EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition is one of America’s top collector car shows and a Detroit institution. Here’s our report on the 2017 event with a big photo gallery.
Now celebrating its 30th year, the event known as EyesOn Design has become a Motor City institution. If it’s Father’s Day and you’re an area gearhead, chances are excellent you’ll be at the show, which is held each year at the beautiful Edsel and Eleanor Ford House on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Named one of the country’s top collector car events by USA Today, EyesOn Design supports a very worthy cause: the research efforts of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, now part of the Henry Ford Health System. This year’s returning chairman is Kathy Lightbody, Director of Sales Operations at Automotive News, while the honorary chairman for 2017 is Anne Asenio, vice president design experience, Dassault Systems.
Where most concours-type events tend to focus on exclusivity and collector status, EyesOn Design is all about one thing: classic automotive design—and not just in exotic and expensive cars, but in vehicles of every era, price, and category. This broad perspective gives EyesOn Design a special place on the American concours scene. The theme on the show field for 2017 was Body Styles, showcasing the almost infinite variety of body types employed by the industry through over a century of automotive design.
Special display categories for 2017 included Concept Cars 1933-1954 and three entire classes celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lincoln. From the approximately 300 cars on display at this year’s show, please find a modest sample in the gallery below. Click on any image to begin a slide show.
I always enjoy this show but this year’s edition was the best ever. Of course, the fact that my car was in the same class as iconic concept cars like the Buick Y Job and LeSabre, Chrysler Thunderbolt and Newport, Cadillac LeMans and others didn’t hurt. What made it even more special was watching our oldest daughter, who is a teacher of the visually impaired, working with the visually impaired judges.
The Eyes On Design show this year was as excellent as the Motor Muster was disappointing. What a great selection of cars, and the British motorcycle display was the best I ever saw outside a bike only show. Five stars.