While wandering through the rows of hundreds of customs, hot rods, muscle cars and pickup trucks at the 2023 Detroit Autorama, it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite, let alone settle on the top eight greatest cars in the massive venue, but the judges of the Ridler Award Great 8 contestants did it again. They had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, scrutinizing every last detail of some of the most high-end custom vehicles to determine eight finalists that will go on to compete for the 2023 Ridler Award. Celebratory cheers echoed through the building as each of the eight finalists were notified of their nomination.
A $1,000 cash reward is offered to each of the eight finalists, and $10,000 is awarded to the Ridler Award Winner, but it’s not necessarily the cash that is king. The Don Ridler Memorial Award is one of the most desirable awards for show car builders and owners. The vehicles are carefully judged based on craftsmanship, creativity and engineering, and the vehicles must adhere to one major rule: The customs should not be revealed to the public before the Autorama show, not even a single photo.
It’s the Great 8 finalists and the Ridler Award that makes Detroit Autorama one of the most anticipated car shows of the year. This year’s finalists did not disappoint. The Ridler Award winner isn’t announced until the last day of the show, but here is a sneak peek of the 2023 Great 8 Ridler Award finalists.