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Grand National Roadster Show 2022: AMBR Contenders, Slonaker Award Winner and Suede Palace

2/7/2022
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The Grand National Roadster Show is one of the oldest and most storied hot rod shows in the world. Builders have been vying for that 9-foot trophy awarded to America’s Most Beautiful Roadster since Bill Niekamp first earned the honor in 1950. The 2022 edition of the show brought out some amazing cars, all vying to have their owners’ names added to that famous trophy.

Here’s a quick rundown of the AMBR contenders as well as the winner of the prestigious Slonaker award. Also, there are a few cool cars from around the show that weren’t up for the big awards, but caught our eye nonetheless.

America's Most Beautiful Roadster, 2022

We dig the vintage-style wheels and arrow-straight and mile-deep paintwork.

Since its inception in 1950, only one other Chevy has been crowned with AMBR honors. Here’s the second-Jeff Breault’s ’34 Chevy, called "Lucille." The crew at Devlin Rod and Customs in Wichita, Kansas screwed the traditionally-styled yet thoroughly modern roadster together and the interior was stitched by the talented Chuck Rowland. It sports an LS engine that’s been dressed with one-off bits and stack fuel injection to look at home in the vintage engine bay.

The AMBR Contenders

The Dooling Roadster looks a bit like a cross between a Deuce roadster and a modern sprint car. It rolls on a custom chassis with torsion bar suspension and a nasty injected Chevy engine.
The Root Bros. Model A Roadster has a great, traditional vibe with a Hilborn injected small block and great proportions.
John Mumford's Brizio-built "Sapphire '33" features some serious metalwork to achieve its unexpected, but gorgeous proportions. Also unexpected is the Aston Martin V12 under that long hood.
Kevin Williams' "Full Circle" '32 was built by New Metal Coachworks and features full fenders and mile-deep black paint.
What are we looking at here? Another representative of the "not a Ford" contingent is "SIX Shooter," a '29 Dodge roadster packing a 250-inch straight six from a Canadian '53 Plymouth.
Edward McSweeney's "Black Magic" is not your typical Model T. This one rides on a custom tube chassis and features a completely handmade body. The engine is a DOHC Lincoln.
Butch Verbeck's "Mysterio" has all the right hot rod stuff, including Halibrand Sprints, a Halibrand V8 quickchange, and a 425-horse '56 Chrysler 354 Hemi.
Bruce Wanta's "Special Speedster" looks outrageous, but will be familiar to anyone who knows the story of Edsel Ford's Speedster. This one started out as a tribute built in Italy, and has been reimagined by Hollywood Hot Rods.
If Bob Owens' "Cusey Roadster" looks like it was built in 1961, that's because it was. Originally built by Ian Cusey back in the day, the luminous roadster was restored by Hot Rod Haven. A '48 Ford trans backs up a '57 283 Chevy.
Joe Faso's "Sage" is a '35 Ford that has been smoothed to the max by Lakeside Rods and Rides.
Squeeg Jerger's '32 looks like it rolled right out of the early 60's with plentiful chrome, white tuck and roll, and a 6-carb small block.
Here's a cool story-The Dick Williams Roadster won the AMBR in 1953 and, following a restoration by Roy Brizio Street Rods, was back to compete in 2022. It won the H&H "Best Dressed Flathead" award.

The Slonaker Award Winner, 2022

The Al Slonaker Memorial Award went home with Pat Gauntt's Hollywood Hot Rods built '32 3-window.

It's been said that there are no new ways to build a '32 Ford, and then a car like Pat Gauntt's 3-window shows up and proves that idea to be very wrong. We've been watching this car come together on the Hollywood Hot Rods Instagram for some time now, and in fact it's been 15 years in the making. It features clever details throughout, including a trick suspension system that allows it to be raised and lowered by pressurized oil from inside the car. It's powered by a 331 Cadillac.

We dig the split windshield, unique quarter-elyptic front suspension, and insane level of detail throughout this car.
It may be even more impressive underneath.

Suede Palace

This cool chopped '36 featured a flathead with a Frenzel blower.

The Suede Palace is always one of our favorite buildings a the Roadster Show. It's a gathering of traditional hot rods, customs, and motorcycles that's always inspirational. Here are few of our favorites from this year.

What is it, you ask? Well, the sign says it's a '34 Buick Sport Coupe. We say it's just plain cool. Bonus points for the Nailhead powerplant.
This bare-metal, Nailhead-powered Model A had the look.
We dig the aggressive paint and chop on this '34 5-window.

More Cool Stuff...

You can't walk past a Rolling Bones-built hot rod and not snap a picture.
The Museum of American Speed was in attendance with a Signature Series '32 powered by a crazy Aardema-Braun cammer V8 on display.
The Panella Trucking Anglia was just restored by South City Rod and Custom and looks fantastic.
We know nothing about this '33 Tudor, but it sure is cool!
Our friends from No Coast Custom and Rod Shop had their stunning in-progress '57 on display in bare metal.
This bad, blown '32 is just about perfect.

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