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When you head into the main hall, that is where all the action is as these cars were the best of the best in hot rods and roadsters. Take this Buick Riviera, for example. It's a great example of a nice restorod job with modern sized wheels, low but mostly functional stance and many other small updates that don't take away from the vintage feel of the car.
The stance and wheels also help hide the large size of the car. Man, I never realized just how big these late 60's chassis' really were.
The main hall also had some of the bigger hot rod vendors. Take this TrackMaster T Roadster and its very sprint car looking body. That would be such an awesome build if I had the skill to make this! Well, you could and not need a ton of fabrication skills to build it either! This is their kit that debuted at SEMA this past year and everything is made by TrackMaster for you to put together.
The body comes packaged and shaped in that really awesome looking vintage sprint car style. The frame is made just for this car and engine, a Chevy LS3 engine.
Even the center lock wheels and knock off hubs come with the car. The spindles are even designed with Wilwood Dyna Pro calipers and rotors! There is nothing for you to fabricate as it is a complete package. It is a 525 horsepower, 1600 lbs autocross monster or track day terror just waiting on you and your money.
Now the show was at its close. The winner of America's Most Beautiful Roadster was going to be crowned and it was a somewhat controversial decision when it was. Remember my hint at the beginning of the story, about how it's not always a roadster that wins America's Most Beautiful Roadster? Well, needless to say at this point that it wasn't a roadster that won.
Instead, it was this car; Wes Rydell and his 1935 Chevrolet Phaeton. Why was that? Why did a 4-door car win a roadster trophy? Again, that term is pretty loose, “America's Most Beautiful Roadster,” and it's actually not the first time a Chevrolet Phaeton has won.
Normally, it's either a complete custom or a Ford to take the AMBR. Can't explain why the Fords, but it doesn't matter. The facts behind Rydell's win are very simple: it's a very rare car and the parts that make it worth the AMBR were thought out by Chip Foose and Rad Rides by Troy. It was that combination that made this 4 door our most beautiful roadster, even if it isn't a 2 door car with its top cut off.
