Autoview: 2006 Detroit Autoshow

Detroit. A city that really does deserve its reputation for crime and corruption. My fondest memories being my first auto show in which my friends and I lurked around Cobo Hall for hours in awe of all the cars. Upon exiting the Cobo Center we began walking down the street to look for a place to eat. One man stopped us and asked if we were from around the area. When we replied "no" he insisted that we leave before dark. As we strolled down the street we noticed all the restaurants and businesses were closed. All we wanted was a burger and a beer. Several hours of walking and drooling overs cars had left us hungry and rather parched. We finally found a Subway that was open and decided to grab a sandwich and pick up a case of the former St. Louis native Budweiser on the way back to the hotel. As we walked into the Subway we noticed it was packed. Several interesting characters were sitting inside with no subs in front of them. It started to get quiet and eyes were looking at us as if we were from a different planet. Without missing a beat we turned around and headed back towards the Cobo Center.

Before we could get to the end of the block an older gentleman told us to run along as we would not want to be here at night. He proceeded to tell us that this was not Disney World and the gangs would not be kind to us. We heeded the warning and began walking faster. A couple blocks to go and I could feel my heart racing as I was a young suburbanite in what is known as one of the most dangerous cities. A block to go we heard a booming voice call out to us. Just as I was ready to hand over my wallet and take a beating I noticed it was a Detroit police officer. He asked us where we were headed and we promptly told him home. His reply was a simple "good" and he waved down a taxi for us and told us to come back tomorrow during the day to see more cars.

Besides the slightly terrifying endeavor it was a blast. Concept cars were everywhere with the show stoppers being the new Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro. For anyone who has not had the opportunity to attend I would strongly suggest it. It truly is king of North American Auto Shows with LA and Chicago nipping at its heels. Below are some memorable images from the show which was my first venture into the city of Detroit. If you did not get a chance to attend this year make plans for 2011. Just be sure to get out before dark.