January 2021
Presented by BUA Motorsport, Micks Paint & Rat Trap Racing

***Bruce Wanta’s ‘Mulholland Speedster’ built by Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods and painted by Mick’s Paint won the 9-foot 2017 AMBR trophy.***

Celebrities, classics, customs, hot rods, muscle cars, racecars, cacklefests, motorcycles, trucks: You name it, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) has it all and more. And, it should have been taking place this weekend.

***AMBR winner numero uno: Bill Niekamp’s Merc-powered ’29 Roadster on Essex rails. A worthy winner. Photo courtesy Jim Jacobs***

The GNRS and its star attraction— America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award (AMBR)—have been a fixture since 1950 when Bill Niekamp took the 9-foot trophy with his flathead Merc-powered ’29 Model A Roadster. It was a worthy winner and set the stage for future AMBR award winners—more or less. According to Hot Rod magazine, that first show attracted 100 show cars and 27,624 people. The show now attracts 600 cars inside, 800-1200 outside for the ‘Grand Daddy Drive-In’ and double the number of attendees.

1966 AMBR Don Lokey '27 Roadster pickup

1985 AMBR Larry & Judi Murray '33 Phaeton

1994 GNRS show floor

1994 AMBR Joe MacPherson 'Infiniti Flyer'

1991 AMBR Ermie Immerso 'Golden Star'

Roger Ritzow's Troy Trepanier-built Deuce was one of the 75 Most Significant '32 Fords

2010 Chip Foose' 'Magnatude'

2017 tribute to Pete Chapouris

2018 AMBR Dave Martin

2019 AMBR George Poteet's '36 Roadster built by Pinkee's

In 2004, the GNRS moved 400 miles south from the Bay Area to the Pomona Fairplex, where it enjoys the benefit of 300,000 sq-ft of indoor space and masses of outdoor parking for more displays and vendors. The GNRS now has room for something for everybody: from the Suede Palace that is home to some funky, less showy builds to Building 9 that houses a very special themed exhibit.

Hot VWs will feature in Bldg. 9 in 2022

Innaugural Slonaker Award presented by ARP went to Ron Ernsberger

Mick's Paint painted Marco Diez' Low Drag XKE

Paul Schley '63 VW dragster will feature in 2022

'62 Toyota Stout restored by Pure Vision Design for Peter Freedman

Each year is different and next year, 2022, will feature ‘A Gathering of Hot VWs’ presented by Hot VW’s Magazine and EMPI. According to the organizers, this exhibit has attracted more pre-entry attention than any other special exhibit.

The 'Pink Panther' restored by Galpin Ford's Dave Shuten

Stephan Szantai pushes his French Tudor into the Suede Palace

John D'Agostino, Linda Vaughn and Carson Lev

Chip Foose' 'Hemisphere'

AutoWeek's Mark Vaughn gives Chip Foose a hard time

Rich Guasco's 'Pure Hell' and Ron Hope's 'Rat Trap'

Jim 'Jake' Jacobs' 'Jakoupage' tub

Robt. Williams, Dan Woods, Jake and Suzanne Williams - all worked at Roth Studios

Roth's shop truck restored for Galpin by Dave Shuten

Eric Clapton's 'barn find' by Roy Brizio

For 2020, ARP Fasteners stepped up to sponsor not only the AMBR Award but also the new Slonaker Award created in memory of the show’s founder Al Slonaker. Bob Florine, ARP’s vice president, sales and marketing said: “The Grand National is a fantastic show that has been around since 1950. It’s the best in the west and with ARP’s support we intend to elevate it to world-class status bringing the best cars to the best show. We had new, never before seen builds entered by some of the nation’s top builders and now we’ll have to wait until 2022.”

L-R: James Austin, Mick Jenkins, Billy F Gibbons

Geoff Stilwell's record setting LSR roadster built by MicksPaint.com

Artist at work

Jonathan Suckling's LSR coupe

It's a tiring weekend

Galpin's Dave Shuten restored Roth's 'Orbitron'

Modern Artifacts display by Jeff Meyers

Metallica's James Hetfield's 'Black Jack'

Plenty of foreigners come to get ideas

Designer Coby Gewertz' stacked coupe being built by Bill Ganahl

Mick Jenkins of MicksPaint.com exhibited for the first time in 2020 saying, “It was fantastic for us, we displayed Marco Diez’ Low Drag XKE and Shantal Pont’s ’64 Lincoln convertible and both cars attracted old and new customers. I’m already booked in Building 6 for 2022.”

HandHFlatheads.com can always be found outside Bldg. 7

Mike Herman of HandHFlatheads.com and Ray Evernham of NASCAR fame

Shawn Killion of Quality Powder Coating and his Lincoln-themed Roadster

Artist Tom Fritz practicing his signature

Bob Florine's bare metal '57 with metalwork by Mick's Paint

L-R: Designer Larry Erickson, Dennis Kelso, Dave Boule

The Estranged Car Club display in the Suede Palace

Musical interlude courtesy American Hot Rod Fondation

More young artists at work

Likewise Mike Herman of HandHFlatheads.com. “We began exhibiting outside Building 7 in 2004,” said Mike, “and it has been very good for us and we typically sell complete engines and parts and give away a ton of catalogs. I can’t wait for 2022.”