75th Grand National Roadster Show 2025

By Tony Thacker• Photos by Nestor Cabrera & Tony Thacker
Presented by HandHFlatheads.com, MicksPaint.com & USAutomotive.co.uk

With attendees from all over the world, the 75th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS), presented by Meguiar’s, will go down in history as one of the all-time great rod and custom shows. The event always attracts the crème de la crème and 2025 was no exception with no less than 11 top notch roadsters competing for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award (AMBR) and another 11 competing for the Al Slonaker Memorial Award. From what we hear from the judges it was a tough competition.

The winner of the AMBR Award was Beth and Ross Meyers’ ’36 Roadster built by Troy Trepanier’s Rad Rides By Troy of Manteno, IL. Powered by a McCulloch-supercharged, ’57 312ci Ford Y-block, the car was stunningly detailed from its hand-formed steel body down to its mid-century, race-inspired wheels.

Over in Hall 6, the Slonaker Award went to Bill Barbato’s ’33 Pontiac Sedan built by CAL Auto Creations of Bennington, NE. This year’s Slonaker entries were a diverse lot--everything from a two-engine 1935 International Truck to a slammed ’73 DeTomaso Pantera, to a ’71 VW Thing. Even the winner was a little unusual being an Art Deco-inspired two-door called ‘AuraBella.’ Designed by Gary Ragle and Eric Black, the Poncho sits on an amazingly detailed, custom-fabricated frame by Liquid Metalworks of Hackettstown, NJ.

In each class there were some stand-out builds worth mentioning. The rumored AMBR runner ups were Gary and Scott Lorenzini’s Deuce Roadster built by the Veazie Brothers that won AMBR Outstanding Engine, and Mike DeVriendt’s ’32 Roadster pickup that won AMBR Outstanding Engineering and Outstanding Paint.

We heard that the Slonaker was an equally close fought competition with two coupes clawing for the laurels with Greg Heinrich’s ’35 ‘Fairway’ Chevy taking Outstanding Paint and Outstanding Undercarriage. Beth Meyers’ ’32 3-window built by Ellis Simmons took Outstanding Engine and Outstanding Interior while Roger Wiebel’s decidedly different VW Thing took Outstanding Detail and Outstanding Engineering. Both the AMBR and Slonaker awards are presented by ARP Racing Products.

Building nine is always home to a special exhibit and this year was no different as it celebrated both the 75 years of the AMBR as well as a special multi-car tribute to George Barris. More than 50 past AMBR winners were displayed and while they were all in some way special the very first,1950 winner, Bill Niekamp’s Model A Roadster was the take-home choice and it looked every bit a winner today as it did 75 years ago.

The Barris exhibit was polarizing as some fans leaned toward Dragula and The Munster Coach while some lusted after the Batmobile while others wanted to drive away the legendary Hirohata Merc’.

For those looking for something radically different Detroit builder Dan Webb displayed an in-progress, hand-crafted tribute to the “Panhard Razor,” a 1926 French race car featuring a steering wheel that goes around the driver’s legs. The workmanship was stunning but the ‘legs-through’ steering had many observers scratching their heads.

Star spotting is always a part of the GNRS and appearing in the American Hot Rod Foundation (AHRF) booth was 103-year-old Ed ‘Isky’ Iskenderian promoting his new documentary ‘ISKY’ and signing copies of the accompanying book ‘Isky and The Old Master.’ The line was out the door and Isky entertained everybody with his amazing memory and interest. Also, in the AHRF display was Leo Loeza’s A-V8 that I had just raced and lost to. It was great to see it without its dust in my eyes.

Of course, there were plenty of less shiny, as found, and as raced cars both in the general displays and in the ‘Suede Palace’ that once again played host to a huge number of less-than-shiny but visually appealing rods, customs and trucks.

With some 600 vehicles spread throughout seven buildings and another 1,000-plus drive-ins, the Grand National lived up to its nick name of “The Grand Daddy of Them All” and there was something for everybody. It might not quite have the cache of the 75th but I can’t wait for the 76th.

For further information about the GNRS and other events, visit: RodShows.com