Every sport has a premier event that defines who or what is the best of the best.

Football fans have the Super Bowl, baseball fans have the World Series and hockey fans have the Stanley Cup.

For fans of automobiles, there’s Autorama.

This year will be the 51st year of the event. Its biggest feature is a tribute to America’s greatest car customizer, George Barris, and 10 of his most famous cars.

Other highlights include a salute to the 50th anniversary Corvette, featuring a dozen cool Corvette classics including the Mako Shark; John D’Agostino’s ’54 Packard, "The Caribbean," presented by U Coat It; Troy Trepanier’s "Chicayne"; and the "Bobby Darin Dream Car," built by Andy Didia of Detroit.

Other exhibits include Eagle One’s All American 1932, Import Tuner’s X-treme Street Exhibit, Eagle One’s Cavalcade of Customs, the Mazda RX7 from "The Fast & the Furious," Vin Diesel’s ’67 Pontiac GTO from the movie "XXX," Motor City’s All-American Motorcycle Show, Collector Car Corral and Toy-A-Rama.

No Autorama would be complete without some celebrity guest appearances.

This year’s guests include wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, Verne J. Troyer (Mini-Me from Austin Powers) and Steve Wilko of "The Jerry Springer Show."

Austin is scheduled to meet fans and sign autographs at 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday.

Troyer is scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. next Sunday. Wilko will sign autographs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Sunday.

For those who crave a little more action, Autorama will offer Creative Sports BMX Stunt Shows. Shows are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

New this year is the Autorama Talent Search.

If you can sing, (alone or with a musical group), have a CD or cassette tape worthy of air play, have karaoke experience, or just like to try your luck, you can perform on the Murray’s Discount Auto Stores stage.

The event will be taped for presentation by Global Entertainment Television and will be aired on Detroit television.

The event is free with your paid admission to Autorama. Appearance is on a first-come basis.

To preregister or for more information, call Robert Krzeminski at 1-313-582-0980.

For further information, call 1-248-293-1700

Autorama facts

What: Hot rod and custom car show.

Where: Cobo Conference & Exhibition Center is at One Washington Blvd. in Detroit.

When: Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. next Sunday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 24.
Admission: Adults, $15 and $13 in advance, and children 6 to 12, $5 and $4 in advance. It is free for children 5 and younger.

Advance tickets: Available at Murray’s Discount Auto Store locations.

For information: Call 1-248-293-1700.