Albuquerque Custom Car Shows
On any given Saturday or Sunday in the spring through early fall you’re probably never more than a half-hour away from a custom car show being held somewhere in Albuquerque! Whether your preference is for classics, hotrods, or lowriders, you will find it in Albuquerque!
This is Route 66 country, and it is rare to drive along the old Mother Road (Central Ave) in Albuquerque from late spring to early fall and not see at least a handful of custom cars of one genre or another (and motorcycles) cruising along with traffic.
The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 put a damper on the summer car season but we should see it roaring back in summer of 2021!
Lowriders on Central Ave. (Route 66)
Lowriders take center stage on old Route 66 (Central Ave.) on Sunday nights in downtown Albuquerque cruising ‘low and slow’ before an appreciative audience. They start to gather at 5 pm near the Firestone Tire store on 7th & Central. Lots of photo-ops!
The vehicles of choice in Albuquerque tend to be classic Americana. You won’t find Bugatti Veyrons or classic Aston Martins here. Classic Chevys, Fords, and Mopars are the preferred makes. What gives the classic car scene here its vibrancy is the high number of unusually gifted weekend mechanics and the easy availability of customizable old cars and trucks.
Whether its hot rods, lowriders, Mopars, rat rods, custom trucks, classic cars, whatever… Albuquerque is custom car country!
Classic Cars in Old Town, Albuquerque
On Sunday afternoons in the summer (2018) Old Town Albuquerque has been the home to an impromptu car show that features a dozen or more classic cars parking around the plaza in Old Town. Worth checking out!
Where to find Albuquerque Car Shows
If you want to catch a local car show during your stay in Albuquerque, there are a number of online resources that provide calendars listing local events. Not all list the same car shows so you may want to check a couple of them. Here are a few:
Alibi Community Calendar for Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It offers a listing of local car shows.
New Mexico Car Shows – Facebook
New Mexico Car Shows Community Calendar on Facebook – This site usually has the most complete listings – check here first.
New Mexico Car Council – Upcoming Events
If you are in town for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, the Fiesta of Wheels Car Show is usually held on the first Sunday of the Fiesta on the grounds immediately after Mass Ascension.
If you have a preference for the exotic and collectible cars of the “rich and famous,” the annual Santa Fe Concorso held in Santa Fe, New Mexico every September will be to your liking. Put on your driving gloves, start the Bentley, and head over to http://santafeconcorso.com for more information.