A fair share of Gen Z isn’t eager to learn how to drive, let alone tune up a vehicle. But when 22-year-old Alyssa Banas cranks on her 1995 GMC Sonoma Pickup, she sees boundless potential.
The 70th Detroit Autorama, set to take place Feb. 24-26 at Huntington Place downtown, is featuring 800 custom, hot rod cars, many renovated by Gen Z enthusiasts.
Banas, a full-time Eastern Michigan University nursing student, and Belleville resident, is one of six recipients of The Next Generation of Modifiers Award.
The competition, sponsored by the Motor City Modified Auto Club, took place over social media for contestants ages 15-25 and is new this year. Six finalists will be showing their vehicles at the Detroit Autorama.
The Motor City Modified Auto Club was established in 1948 and is the oldest car club in Michigan. It remains an active car club with new members joining frequently.
Banas said she gets her interest in cars from her father, who raised her around car building and racing.
“He has been building cars and racing cars since he was in his 20s, so we were kind of born into it. We started out when we were a really young age, probably around 3 or 4 years old, riding on four-wheelers,” she said. “Once we got older, we were able to also get into the cars and start working on them with our dad.”
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Banas said she’s thrilled for the Autorama as this is a new first for her family.
“I was very excited actually because we’ve been into cars my entire life. We’ve went to Autorama every single year that I can even remember, and we have never actually had a vehicle in the Autorama. It’s a big first for me and my dad so doing it together is really awesome,” she said.
Dillion LaDuke, 20, of Clinton Township, is another recipient of The Next Generation of Modifiers competition.
LaDuke said he has been working on his 1978 Granite Chevy Nova since he was 14.
“It took six years to go through everything and do the suspension and all the welding and all the rust repairs,” he said.
According to Motor Trend, the Chevy Nova was first introduced in 1962 and stayed in production for over 20 years. The 1978 Nova is similar to the 1977 model with the same base options and body styles, but has additional elements such as a unique grille, horizontal parking lights, and more.
There’s a myth that the Nova didn’t sell in Latin American countries because “no va” means “doesn’t go” in Spanish. However, few Spanish speakers interpreted it as so and the car sold well in many of these countries.
LaDuke also said he was grateful to do the project with the help of family and friends, especially his dad.
“In the end, I’m glad me and my dad took on the father-son project that allowed me to work with so many people and build my dream car.”
The Next Generation of Modifiers competition isn’t the only one bringing Gen Z to the Detroit Autorama.
DRIVE One Detroit, a school dedicated to teaching high schoolers how to modify cars, will feature six cars this year in honor of its 50th anniversary. Many of the cars have been worked on by students.
Joe Tregembo, co-instructor at DRIVE One Detroit, said the group partnered with Lake Shore, South Lake, Grosse Pointe North, and Fraser High Schools to teach students skills for their future.
“Our main goal is to provide students not just the opportunity to work on cool project cars like the ones that are going to the Detroit Autorama, but also help them harness their skill sets for high paying careers in the automotive and manufacturing industry,” he said.
While students helped on many of the vehicles, there was one they took on from start to finish.
“This year is very special. This year, we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary at Autorama,” Tregembo said. “We have six cars in total, one from each decade. One of the six cars we’re taking is a ‘37 Fiat Twin-Engine Dragster that students designed all the way from the ground up.”
For more information on the 70th Detroit Autorama, go to autorama.com.