Jan. 17 marked the yearly return of the Winter Rod & Speed Show, an indoor automotive show and tell held in the Albany Expo Center. All proceeds from the $10 a ticket event went towards Albany’s local food bank and cooperative effort, Fish. 

Notably, the car show had some spectacular offerings for attendees, such as a tribute Batmobile modeled after the 1966 Ford Futura concept and the show’s centerpiece, owner Bob Shaw’s “Bad 32” Ford Coupe. Additionally, on Saturday there was a model competition and vendors lining the walls selling toys, wearable merchandise and automotive paraphernalia to customers. 

Gorgeous cars filled the event space. Vehicles as rare as DeSoto Fluid Drive sedans — an early to mid 1940s sedan whose transmission was an early precursor to a modern automatic, where the transmission gears are actuated manually, but depressing the clutch is not required once the car is moving. 

Or even legitimate top fuel dragsters were present — long drag racing cars built for more than 300 miles per hour, and have built in parachutes. 

Most of the cars on the floor were American heritage vehicles such as ’40s mobster-styled sedans with suicide doors and ’70s muscle. However, even the mundane, typical car show, like the previously mentioned common American heritage cars,  regulars were shined to perfection, surrounded by smiling owners bustling around looking at each other’s pieces of art. 

Want to check out an upcoming car show? Willamette Valley Smoke House Car Meet is 7 pm to 9 pm Jan. 23, And Roseburg Cars and Coffee is 1 pm to 3 pm the 3rd Sunday of every month.