What Makes A Car Worth Staring At For A Week?

Step onto the show floor at the 43rd Houston Auto Show and you’ll find a surprise: a show within the show. We sit down with curator Ben Miller, the connector who rebuilds a forty-car classic lineup every year from scratch—mixing concours-grade muscle, JDM unicorns, and offbeat imports to keep the display fresh, diverse, and unforgettable.

Ben shares how he scouts “undercover” at Autorama, Texas Elite, and Cars and Coffee meetups, building trust with owners and tracking evolving builds so repeat participants never bring the same car twice. He explains why auctions aren’t ideal for sourcing, how community ties matter more than bidding paddles, and how small, local shows can yield the most surprising finds. Along the way, we talk selection philosophy—choosing cars people love, not just cars he loves—and the importance of mixing eras, body styles, and stories to spark conversation across generations.

Highlights include a 2021 Ford GT and a rare new GTD holding court in the lobby, plus a time-capsule 1999 Viper ACR with 1,500 miles parked beside a heavily modified 2014 Viper sporting twin nitrous bottles. Ben pulls back the curtain on the logistics few see: cold-weather tire limits that can delay deliveries from Canada, owner schedules, security, and the paperwork that keeps everything moving. It’s a candid look at how a regional auto show becomes a living museum—one that changes every year to surprise even lifelong car people.

If you love classic cars, JDM legends, and the craft of curation, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a fellow enthusiast, and leave a review telling us which car you’d add to next year’s lineup.

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