Hanging Out with Dodge and Motley Crue at Gas Monkey Live

General Lee #Dodgerocks
That’d be the General Lee Dodge Charger, but Bo and Luke Duke were nowhere in sight.

Happy birthday to Dodge, rocking to Motley Crue.

Dodge is 100 years old. In fact, it’s actually 100 years old on this very day, as I’m writing this post. On November 14, 1914 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.

Gas Monkey Car #Dodgerocks
I signed the hood of a car at the Dodge Gas Monkey Live event!

Chargers, Challengers and Vipers, oh my Dodge

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.

Mopar Thor Tattoo #Dodgerocks
“Mopar or No Car” Says Thor, God of Thunder, and this original Dodge Challenger was owned by a gradma!

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.

Thor Challenger Engine #Dodgerocks
Not only was the Dodge Charger car tricked out with Thor bits, but he had Mjolnir.

Start your engines, drag racing gone legal

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.

Gas Monkey Live isRichard 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.

Wicked Witch #Dodgerocks
Of course, the Wicked Witch of the West has a Hemi. What else would she drive?

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.

Dodge and Motley Crue

The concert itself was fantastic. This was no giant arena, but a smaller, more intimate venue. Not only did Mötley Crüe 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

Dodge covered all expenses to attend this event. Opinions expressed are my own.

Nicole Wakelin
Nicole Wakelin

Nicole Wakelin contributes to The Boston Globe, CarGurus, BestRide, and Boldride, and she hosts her own blog, http://www.nicolewakelin.com, where she geeks out about all the stuff she loves.

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