Dodge is 100 years old. In fact, it’s actually 100 years old on this very day, as I’m writing this post. It was November 14, 1914, that the Dodge brothers built their very first car. This is a pretty big milestone and to celebrate, Dodge threw one heck of a party.
“Dodge Rocks Gas Monkey” involved a car show on an epic scale with over 800 Dodge fans bringing their cars to the Gas Monkey Live venue in Dallas, Texas, to show them off and enjoy a concert with Mötley Crüe. I’ve been to car shows, but this one puts every other car show ever to shame.
Try to imagine row after row of Chargers and Challengers and Vipers with the most beautiful custom work you have ever seen just sitting there for you to try not to drool over. These weren’t Dodge’s cars, these were real people’s cars and they were all incredible.
There were brand new cars along with some classics in simply beautiful condition with lots of custom bits that made each one unique and very personal. The owners ran the gamut from grandfathers proud of their vintage rides to twenty-somethings with tricked out rides full of lights and gadgets galore.
My absolute favorite car of the bunch was one Texas boy’s Thor-themed Challenger. Yeah, nerds unite even at a car show! Even better? The car originally belonged to the guy’s grandma. A grandma driving a Thor Dodge Challenger? Awesome.
There were also ride opportunities where professional drivers thrashed about a track in a Viper drift car to the delighted squeals of their passengers. Okay, it may only have been me squealing, because it was simply too much fun to sit quietly.
Once the drifting was over it was time for drag races with two Challenger Hellcats. Drag racing. In a parking lot. Legally. With a professional driver. Oh, Dodge, you killed me with all the awesome car goodness.
It was held at Gas Monkey Live. Richard Rawlings’ new music venue across from the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill. He was on hand to chat and take pictures with the crowd. It’s worth noting that this guy has the most perfectly styled hair. Seriously, I can’t style my own hair as well. Richard “Perfect Hair” Rawlings was a great host and I’m pretty sure he was just as stoked as the crowd for the whole thing.
Unbelievably, this was not the end of the awesome because once the car show was over, it was time for another show from Mötley Crüe who are in the middle of their “All Bad Things Must End” final tour. Dodge and Rawlings arranged for the band to play at the garage and they arrived in Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats with all the squealing tires and smoke one would expect for a rock band’s grand entrance.
The concert itself was fantastic. This was no giant arena, but a smaller venue unlike any that Mötley Crüe normally plays. Not only did they sound great even after all these years, but my 14-year-old self was in her glory singing along to songs I remembered from high school.
It was all over too fast, but it was an absolute blast and it’s still hard to believe I got to be a part of something so special. Happy birthday, Dodge, and thanks for inviting me to the party! #DodgeRocks
