Southfield residents revved for Autorama

SOUTHFIELD — Everett Stephenson’s love of classic hot rods goes back to his adolescence in the 1970s.

“When I was a kid, this is back in the ’70s, I was hanging out with the group, and we used to sneak in the Detroit drag strip. We’d walk down the track and we’d lift up the fence to go watch our brothers drag race their cars down there,” he said.

Years later, he found himself buying a large luxury Lincoln from the ’70s when his coworker approached him and told him that she had a classic 1970s car, and now he’s participating in this year’s Autorama with a different vehicle.

Autorama is back for its 71st anniversary March 1-3 at Huntington Place, featuring five generations of Batmobiles and four Southfield residents — Charlotte Davidson, Dave Mckenna, Stephenson and Johnny Johnson.

It took Stephenson around five years to get his 1971 Dodge Challenger restored. It was frustrating. He went from auto shop to auto shop trying to find someone who could restore the classic vehicle until, finally, the job was complete.

“To know somebody who do what they need to do, it’s worth it to pay them. So that’s why I say, for me now, I’ll never redo a car like that again,” Stephenson said. “But I know a guy who does bodywork. I buy the parts, and he does the bodywork. It gives me something to do after my retirement.”

This is Stephenson’s fourth time participating in Autorama. He also participates in the Hot Rod Power Tour, which starts in Millington, Tennessee and travels through a total of five cities, ending in Hampton, Georgia.

“I’m just excited to be asked to join this. It’s a really prestigious honor to be a part of Autorama, to go there and show your car and be among some of the top guys out there and look at what they’re doing. I’m more excited for my buddy Johnny to be in there, because this is his first car show, and what a car show it is,” Stephenson said.

As of now, only a handful of people know about the hidden gem tucked away in Johnson’s garage. For Johnson, a family friend of the Stephensons, getting his classic 1969 Mercury Marauder has been 55 years in the making.

“That car, I bought it when I was 19 — the same car. The one I had was red with a white roof — bright red, with a white leather interior. I was in the service, and my father wouldn’t have let me take it, so the car stayed here, and I went back to the service,” he said.

Johnson explained that the car had been sold by the time he returned home.

“Last July, I told myself I’ve been through too much; I’m going to buy that car,” he said.

With the help of his niece, Johnson located a black two-door 1969 Mercury Marauder at a gallery in Tampa. Johnson’s car arrived in near-mint condition, since it had been on display except for some engine and wiring work that needed to be taken care of. He said that when the car arrived in October, he had his son park it, because he didn’t want to drive it until it was complete.

Charlotte “Goldie” Davidson isn’t into speed. She’d rather ride in style.

Davidson’s first Corvette was a 1995, and she’s been hooked ever since. She is now the proud owner of two Corvettes — a 2002 Corvette convertible in pewter and a 2017 Corvette Grand Sport convertible in sterling blue metallic that arrived just last week.

In late 2019, Davidson joined the “Vette Boyz,” a club of 30 Corvette enthusiasts started by Jeffrey Harvey seven years ago. Davidson was the first woman to join the club, and since then, the club now has four female members.

“It’s amazing when you see women who are into cars like that. When I went to the Autorama, I saw how many women are into cars, or helping fix cars up or things like that, and with Vettes, people associate Corvettes with men. They don’t associate them with women,” Davidson said. “When I got my first Vette and pulled up at the gas station, people would say, ‘Oh, I like your car. Is that your man’s car you driving?’ And I’m like, ‘OK, so why can’t I be driving my car?’”

Her license plate reads “Hers 65” to help clear things up for those wondering who the car belongs to. She and another woman from the Vette Boyz attended an event in Bowling Green, Kentucky, called Cultural Awareness Corvette Weekend, and she was amazed to see the number of women out there who love Corvettes like she does.

Dave McKenna has a need for speed.

“Detroit and the Detroit metro area has got a long-running history with various types of racing. And I would say, a big part of that is the drag racing community. We’re lucky enough to have a few local tracks — Milan, Lapeer — all within a reasonable distance,” he said.

McKenna bought his red 1988 Ford Mustang as a bare shell around three years ago to use as a drag race car. As a professional in the automotive industry, working on cars wasn’t uncharted territory to McKenna.

“Part of me getting this car was for the learning experience,” he said. “There’s certain aspects of fabrication or engine tuning that were new to me, so I did pick up the car more to learn and broaden my knowledge based on my expertise.”

His Ford car has a General Motors engine that goes up to 170 mph. McKenna participates in events like Back to the Streets in Milan, a three- to four-day event where racers drive from racetrack to racetrack unsupported.

“Racing is sometimes challenging enough as it is, but then the additional complication of having to have the car be street legal and having to ensure that it makes it to the next track without breaking down,” he said.

Autorama will take place noon-10 p.m. March 1, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. March 2 and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. March 3.

Admission costs $27 for adults and $10 for children ages 6-12. Admission is free for children ages 5 and under. For more information on tickets and discounts, visit autorama.com or call (248) 373-1700.