HISTORY OF
SACRAMENTO AUTORAMA

From its humble beginnings as a two-day hot rod show in November of 1950, the Sacramento Autorama stands as the premier showcase of the radical custom and exotic show cars. The Sacramento area has evolved to be known as “The Custom Car Capital of the World.” Each year, thousands of spectators make the annual trek to California’s capital city to view the latest in chopped, channeled, sectioned, and chromed cars as well as hot rods, pickups, motorcycles, muscle cars, and street machines.

Sacramento businessman Harold “Baggy” Bagdasarian started the Autorama in 1950. While serving as president of the Capitol City Auto Club Thunderbolts, he talked the members into having a show to settle friendly arguments over the outstanding merits of their personal customized cars. The Capitol Chevrolet Company dealership at 13th and K Streets in downtown Sacramento was the first gathering site, which attracted 22 entries and 500 spectators. “We took in $262 in two days at 74 cents a head,” Baggy recalled. “We didn’t charge 75 cents because we would have gotten involved in the Federal Amusement Tax.” The first Best Custom Car Trophy went to Leroy Semas for his 1937 Chevrolet coupe, and Burton Davis was the winner for Best Rod with his 1931 Ford Roadster.

Following the second Autorama, the Thunderbolts were hesitant to continue due to expenses. But an optimistic Bagdasarian, encouraged by the increased attendance, was convinced that the event had the potential for being a real winner. Baggy promoted the show without the Thunderbolts’ backing. It became apparent that he needed a more suitable location for expansion, so he rented the Memorial Auditorium and teamed with a motorsports publicist, the late John Gliebe, to increase public awareness.

The Third Autorama was a three-day show in late January of 1953. The name “Autorama” was used for the first time this year since the exhibits expanded to include all types of hot rods, customs, motorcycles, race cars, boats, and specialty vehicles. Autorama introduced a theater area to show various racing events such as the Indianapolis 500 this year as well. The event drew 70 entries and nearly 8,000 spectators, including famed sportsman J.C. Agajanian, whose Number 98 Indianapolis car was one of the specialty entries.

The 1954 Sacramento Autorama and Motor Sports Review utilized the main floor and basement of the Memorial Auditorium and boasted an attendance of nearly 9,000 spectators. In 1955, the Autorama moved to the 33,000-square-foot Merchandise Mart Building at the old California State Fairgrounds on Stockton Boulevard. By 1958, the large crowds and success made a five-day Autorama a reality. After the 1963 show saw nearly 30,000 attendees, it moved again in 1964, this time to the larger Women’s Building on the fairgrounds. Vehicle entries were up to 150, and in 1966, the adjacent Governor’s Hall was used to increase floor space.

In 1970, Bagdasarian moved the Autorama into three buildings at the Cal Expo. Entries increased to about 175, and he used two of the facilities for displays. The third building was converted to a 1,500-seat movie theater. The Sacramento Autorama has expanded to more buildings to accommodate its present-day exhibition of nearly 300 of the world’s most spectacular vehicles.

The Autorama has established several Special Awards in honor of the pioneers of the customizing industry. When Sam Barris passed away in 1967, his close friend Harold Bagdasarian established The Sam Barris Memorial Award in his memory. This Trophy is awarded each year for the best use of metal and paint on an all-metal car; metalwork was Barris’ specialty.

In 1991, an award was created to perpetuate the name of Autorama’s founder. The World’s Most Beautiful Custom H.A. Bagdasarian Memorial Award is presented at the Autorama to a custom car from 1936 to the present that features a silhouette change, including chopped, channeled, and/or sectioned bodywork.

Other premier awards at the Autorama include The Joe Bailon Award, first awarded in 1992 and presented to the vehicle owner that has done his or her own body and paintwork, along with The Harry Bradley Design Achievement Award (1996–1999). In 2000, The Dick Bertolucci Award for Automotive Excellence took over the Bradley Award. This prestigious accolade is awarded to the owner of a 1972 or older hot rod or custom car entry that meets Bertolucci’s personal criteria for “assembly, fit, finish, and detail.” These four awards are referred to as the “Big B” awards. Today, the most sought-after award is the Custom D’Elegance Award, considered by many to be the top award for custom cars. The winner of the King of Kustoms Award is chosen for its flowing lines and aesthetics; this award is regarded as the “Coolest of the Cool.”

Bagdasarian carried on with the show through the ‘70s and ‘80s. In the late ‘80s, he teamed with Sacramento businessman Don Tognotti, who produced the Sacramento Autorama until 1999. The show is currently produced by Rod Shows, which also produces the Grand National Roadster Show.