Chris Nagy

One of the biggest car shows in Canada has returned for 2022 to Toronto's International Centre. The Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Expo saturates the senses of auto enthusiasts with a broad collection of incredible machines. These six masterpieces on four wheels from the shows between 2015 and 2018 provide just a taste of what awaits those attending the event. 

A classic wagon is instantly linked to outing to the quintessential family road trip. Regarded for travelling long distances, it's a rarity to think of the vehicle type's performance along the journey. For Joe and Tina Halasz, their 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu wagon breaks conventions of the family-moving car primarily through a high performance 327 cubic-inch V8 engine. 

As common as it is for a car enthusiast to have memories of where their love for automobiles blossumed, everyone's story is unique. Rene Maheu's automotive life growing up in Sudbury, Ontario during the 1960s involved being surrounded by what is now legendary examples of classic horsepower. Rene's early memories of his 1966 Chevrolet Malibu SS resurfaced in a more recent restoration project.

In 1956, the sands of Daytona Beach served as a fast first public outing for the Chevrolet Corvette to demonstrate its new personality as a true performance machine. Joining Corvette icon Zora Arkus-Duntov and John Finch was an accomplished lady who had already soared to championship titles. Betty Skelton’s speed run at Daytona in a 1956 Corvette cemented herself as a pioneering figure behind the sports car.

During the 1960s, as NASCAR’s top league featured large American iron such as the Chevrolet Chevelle, Ford Torino Talladega and Dodge Charger Daytona, another racing division was formed serving as a battleground for smaller performance machines. A short-lived series, the NASCAR Grand Touring nonetheless established a legacy that includes igniting a stock car racing rivalry between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.

Advertising themselves as holding “The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions”, the Barrett-Jackson show presented a sales floor for almost any kind of vehicle ranging from pickup trucks to exotic and classic vehicles garnering more than a million dollars each. The 2022 edition of the famed Scottsdale, Arizona auction was highlighted by high-value sales of Camaros, Corvettes and other muscle cars.