Mister Showman, The Man who Created the Custom Car Show Phenomenon
by Bob Larivee Sr.
A few years ago Bob Larivee Sr. wrote a book titled Hot Rod Dreams which was described as his memoir. Now comes this book that Larivee writes is his response to “people . . . asking me when I was going to publish my biography.” But with over 800 images packed onto the 250 pages, the book is more a “picto-graphy” with some words.
It does offer insights and show details of Robert “Bob” Edward Larivee Sr.’s life from its 1930 beginning to current day because, yes, as this is publishing, Bob, in his middle 90s, is still going strong and happily making appearances selling and signing this book coast-to-coast.
Larivee can’t recall a time when his world didn’t involve cars. The family lived not far from Detroit’s Motor City Speedway so, especially on weekends, engine sounds could be heard all over the neighborhood. No surprise as young lads he and his friends were there too watching the midgets and roadsters.
Having joined the Air Force Reserves, he was called to active duty during the Korean conflict but once returned home Larivee was off to try his own hand running circle tracks. He did well enough that, along with the money he and his dad were making painting signs for auto shows and races, he was able to participate in the purchase of land, followed by building and opening Michigan’s first official drag strip where he also competed in the Super Stock class.
The sixties brought more growth as Bob, finding his niche promoting all manner of car shows, was meeting others who would help him make his—and their—names. Examples include Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and George Barris. Toward the end of the decade Bob also returned to the driver’s seat fielding his own entries. By 1976 he was ready to move on to other things so permanently put his driver’s helmet on a shelf. His main focus had remained growing an ever more successful set of companies managing and producing auto shows. Thus, the year after hanging up his driver’s suit he celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Detroit Motorama as the page pair below shows.
It’s also at this point that Larivee’s words and photos deviate from prior books in order to show and tell of other interests—thus activities. One is his association with the Meadowbrook Concours first held in 1979. By its third year Bob had been invited to join the organizing committee and by 1984 was, along with designer Dick Teague, helping to organize a fine art show as a feature of the event. The image immediately below is Bob in an early Meadowbrook concours promotional photo.
Meadowbrook was where another organization spawned in which Bob would play a significant role; the Automotive Fine Arts Society or AFAS as it came to be known. Bob was instrumental in helping AFAS gain a presence on the showfield of the Pebble Beach Concours commencing in 1986 where it would enjoy a three decade-long run displaying and selling its participating artists’ outstanding artworks.
In turn, the successes of sales and warm reception of displays of automotive fine art at Meadowbrook inspired Larivee to launch yet another art display and sale venue, but one with a quite different audience and focus. The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association show has occupied major exhibition space in Las Vegas each November. Larivee brought and mounted his Hot Rod Heritage art show and sale at SEMA in 1986 where it instantaneously became a magnet for the movers and shakers as the page pair below shows.
The above page pair, numbered 126–127, is essentially the book’s halfway point. What follows are more photo-packed page pairs of some of Bob’s travels, his family, and of events, people and activities well into the 2000s. Multiple pages show of his fascination and interest in all of Walt Disney’s creations. Finally, he spends a few pages highlighting and paying tribute to some specific personalities.
Although not officially named as appendices, that is the function the last three pages perform. First is a list of the ten books Bob has produced and/or published, most—as with this one—by his own Group Promotions, LLC. A couple of the most noteworthy titles are Harrah’s Automobile Collection authored by Dean Batchelor and Cunningham: The Life and Cars of Briggs Swift Cunningham also authored by Batchelor along with Al Bochroch.
On the very last page which serves as the masthead as well is a list of abbreviations. When you parse them out they are a list of the dozen or so companies that are the show producing organizations Larivee has formed over his lifetime. As he expressed in this book’s introduction, “My life has been an exciting blast and I am happy I lived when I did. I have made hundreds of friends from around the world and I am happy my family was able to share it with me.”
Copyright 2025 Helen V Hutchings, SAH (speedreaders.info)
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