The venerable Grand National Roadster Show returned to the Pomona Fairplex this weekend after a two-year absence due to COVID cancellations with a showcase of colors, styles and makes limited only by the imagination of the builders and the bankroll of the car owners.
For the 72nd time, this show offered lovers of autos as art eye candy at every turn. Buildings filled with beautiful custom builds wowed the onlookers.
This year’s featured marque was VW, with an entire building of VW bugs of many years and diverse styles, as well as numerous others displayed outside. Here is just one sparkling example with a theater-like plush interior. Click any image for a closer look.
In this crazy car world where Fords were often Chevys and Chevys were Fords due to mixing and matching of engines, body parts and interior components, nothing was as it appeared. A custom Thunderbird with a Corvette grille was just one example.
Lincoln owners had plenty to see. A number of Lincolns were part of the show and Lincoln engines formed the heart of some of the customs. The end products were pleasing and for the technically inclined, the build stories were automotive music.
A lowered ’58 Continental Mark III looked even longer than its impressive original 229 inches in this custom build. A beautiful 1940 custom Zephyr with numerous modifications was an eye catcher and a cream colored 1942 Zephyr was displayed with its rag top in mid flight. A lowered ’64 sedan sported custom wheels and wide white walls. Finally, a custom 1934 Ford Special Speedster with an extra long hood originally built by Dr. Riccardo Grasso with a Lincoln 337 cu in flathead V-8 was reimagined and rebuilt by Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods.
A sizeable reward awaited the winner of the competition and some of the nation’s premier custom builders exhibited their entries. One of these outstanding examples will be judged America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. The winner’s plaque will be mounted permanently on the huge trophy, centerpiece of the display featuring the contending vehicles.
Rock bands, food and vendor booths all were part of the fun. If you catch this post before the show closes today and decide to attend,, visit an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store and get a $2.00 discount off the $25 admission ticket before heading to Pomona. Then be ready to be transported to an automotive fantasy world where nothing one can dream is beyond the builders’ limits. Enjoy!
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