A Life Curated in Chrome
For Lauren Mendelson, cars aren’t just transportation—they’re emotion, expression, and history on wheels. She’s spent over three decades curating a remarkable collection that now fills what she affectionately calls “The Warehouse,” a private automotive haven that still leaves her in awe every time she walks through its doors.
“My dad had a parts store with a junkyard in the back,” Lauren recalls. “He’d take me to work and I’d climb into the old cars, pretending to drive. That’s where it all began.” By age 12, she was behind the wheel—thanks to her dad’s early lessons—and by her teenage years, she was sneaking out to pick up friends and cruise Woodward in the family car. “I don’t know how I didn’t get caught,” she laughs.
Her love of cars is driven by a search for uniqueness. “I’ve always liked things that are different, things that don’t feel mainstream. It’s like an art collection—each vehicle has to say something when it’s going down the road.” That personal design process is deeply introspective. “I ask myself: do I want this car to feel classic? Bold? What’s its message?”
I’ve always liked things that are different, things that don’t feel mainstream. It’s like an art collection—each vehicle has to say something when it’s going down the road.
Some vehicles in her collection carry a deeper emotional weight. There are cars she first saw on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show and knew instantly she had to have. Others are custom builds that reflect years of vision and refinement. “Every one of them represents a moment, a feeling. That’s what makes them special,” she says. “You don’t just remember driving them—you remember who you were when you first saw them, why you fell in love.”
A longtime staple at concourses and car shows around the world, Lauren says Detroit will always be the epicenter of her passion. “This is the Motor City. Ford. GM. Cadillac. It’s all from here. And I’m proud of how the city is rebuilding, how there’s new energy and innovation.”
She’s attended the Detroit Auto Show for as long as she can remember, and today, her journey has come full circle—now as an exhibitor. “To be asked to display vehicles is such a privilege. It’s surreal.”
Lauren’s commitment extends beyond her personal passion. She mentors junior judges at concours events and lends her cars and driving skills for charitable causes—whether helping EyesOn Design fund vision research or supporting the Henry Ford Museum. “It’s an easy yes,” she says. “You’re making a dream come true for someone, and it helps others too.”
With her six-month-old grandson already decked out in Ferrari gear and surrounded by ride-on toy cars, Lauren sees the spark continuing. “He’s already my little driving buddy,” she says. “This collection, this love—it’s part of his future.”
Because for Lauren Mendelson, My Drive. My City. My Show. isn’t just a tagline—it’s a way of life.